Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Historia Das Armas
Historia Das Armas
DK DELHI
DESIGNERS Arunesh Talapatra, Enosh Francis
SENIOR DESIGNER Shefali Upadhyay
Pistols & Glock 17 86
Self-loading pistols 1945– (cont.) 88
DTP CO-ORDINATOR Pankaj Sharma Revolvers 6 DIRTY HARRY 92
DTP DESIGNERS Harish Aggarwal, Tarun Sharma
DESIGN ASSISTANCE Preetam Singh, Neeraj Aggarwal
Introduction 8 Revolvers 1900–1945 94
Wheellock pistols 10 Webley & Scott Mark VI 98
First American Edition, 2007 Wheellock pistol 12 Revolvers 1945– 100
This paperback edition published 2012
Published in the United States by
Flintlock pistols 1550–1700 14 JAMES BOND 104
DK Publishing DICK TURPIN 18 Decorated handguns 106
375 Hudson Street
New York, New York 10014 Flintlock pistols 1700–1775 20
Ottoman Empire firearms 24
12 13 14 15 16 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Indian firearms 26
RIFLES &
001—GD093—May/2012 BLACKBEARD 28
Copyright © 2007, 2012 Dorling Kindersley Limited Flintlock pistols 1775–1800 30 MUSKETS 108
All rights reserved
Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved
Colt 34 Introduction 110
above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, Flintlock pistols 1800–1850 36 Earliest firearms 112
stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or
transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, Percussion-cap pistols 40 Arquebuses & hook guns 114
mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), Colt Model 1851 44 European muskets 116
without the prior written permission of both the
copyright owner and the above publisher of this book. US Percussion-cap revolvers 1850–1900 46 17th century musket 120
Published in Great Britain by WYATT EARP 50 Asian matchlocks 122
Dorling Kindersley Limited. British Percussion-cap revolvers 1850–1900 52 Wheellock rifles 126
A catalog record for this book is available from the Brass cartridge revolvers 56 Early flintlock rifles 128
Library of Congress.
ISBN 978-0-7566-9573-6 Smith & Wesson 62 TIMOTHY MURPHY 132
DK books are available at special discounts when Early self-loading pistols 64 Flintlock muskets & rifles 134
purchased in bulk for sales promotions, premiums, fund- Mauser C/96 68 Brown Bess 142
raising, or educational use. For details, contact: DK
Publishing Special Markets, 375 Hudson Street, New Self-loading pistols 1900–1920 70 Ottoman firearms 144
York, New York 10014 or SpecialSales@dk.com. Self-loading pistols 1920–1945 76 Indian firearms 146
Color reproduction by Wyndeham Icon, London, UK Beretta 78 Other Asian firearms 148
Printed and bound in China by Hung Hing Self-loading pistols 1920–1945 (cont.) 80 Enfield rifle musket 152
Discover more at Self-loading pistols 1945– 82 Percussion-cap rifles 154
www.dk.com
Percussion-cap breechloaders 158 FREDERICK COURTNEY SELOUS 242
Sharps carbine 160 Hunting guns 244
Percussion-cap breechloaders (cont.) 162 Survival guns 1945– 248
MA
ACH
CHIN
HIIN
NE GU
NE GUNNS
S&
Single-shot breechloaders 164 Early combat shotguns 250
Dreyse Needle Gun 168 Combat shotguns 252 SU
UBMMAC
ACHI
CHI
HINE
HINE
NE G
GUN
UNS
UN S 30
3008
8
Manual repeater rifles 1775–1880 170 Sport shotguns 256 Introduction 310
Winchester 174 Holland & Holland 260 Early battery & machine guns 312
Manual repeater rifles 1880–1890 176 Gatling Gun 314
ANNIE OAKLEY 184 Recoil-operated machine guns 316
Manual repeater rifles 1890–1900 186
SP ECIALIS T Gas-operated machine guns 320
GUNS 262
Lee-Enfield No.4 Mark 1 194 Steyr-Mannlicher 326
Manual repeater rifles 1900–1945 196 Light machine guns 1900–1945 328
Sniper rifles 202 Introduction 264 Light machine guns 1945– 332
VASILY ZAITSEV 204 Combination weapons 266 Bren Gun 334
Sniper rifles 206 Early multi-shot firearms 270 Light machine guns 1945– (cont.) 336
Self-loading rifles 1900–1945 210 Multi-shot firearms 272 Submachine guns 338
BONNIE AND CLYDE 214 Anti-tank weapons 274 PPSh41 340
Self-loading rifles 1945– 216 Taser Gun 278 Submachine guns (cont.) 342
Heckler & Koch G3A3 220 Rifle-mounted grenade launchers 280 AL CAPONE 346
Self-loading rifles 1945– 222 Stand-alone grenade launchers 284 Submachine guns (cont.) 348
AK-47 assault rifle 224 Missile launchers 286 Heckler & Koch MP5 352
Mechanical-electrical guns 288
Special Operations Executive 290
Gentry guns 292
SPORT RIFLES Covert forces guns 294
& SHOTGUNS 226 Silenced guns 296
Introduction 228 Concealed spy guns 300 Glossary 354
European hunting guns 230 Improvised guns 304 Index 356
Sport rifles 236 Prototype guns 306 Acknowledgments 360
pistols &
revolvers
H
ANDGUNS ARE THE ultimate expression of tucked into a belt or holster ready for use. They also
portable firepower. From their earliest days in entered military service as cavalry weapons, part of the
the 16th century they were designed to be easily mounted tactic known as the caracole.
concealed, lightly carried, and operated with one hand. The caracole seems to have developed around 1540, and
In terms of ballistic performance and accuracy, the involved massed ranks of wheellock-armed cavalry riding
sacrifices made by this emphasis on portability are many. to within pistol range, discharging their handguns at the
Handgun accuracy, even in today’s high-specification enemy ranks, then wheeling back to their lines to reload.
weapons, tends to have a ceiling of around 82 ft (25 m),
the precision limited by the instability of the grip and the
shortness of the barrel. The barrel length, plus the limited While the pistol was not an ideal weapon for organized
ability for a small gun to handle any recoil, also means battlefield firepower, it was perfect as a soldier’s back-up
that range and penetration are steeply curtailed when weapon or as a self-defense tool for the civilian or law-
compared to rifles. Yet such considerations are missing the enforcement officer. Wheellocks were highly expensive
point about handguns. In pure defense terms, handguns and delicate, so with the introduction of cheaper flint
are about close-range reassurance. They can be deployed ignition systems handguns came into wider use.
quickly, carried unobtrusively (one of the principal reasons There was also innovation. Multi-barrel “volley” pistols
they are standard police weapons), and, within the limits were made, particularly for naval use, and in the early
of their performance, pack a hard punch. 1800s the “pepperbox” revolving-barrel flintlocks enjoyed
some popularity. Flintlock pistols varied in scale, but those
most commonly carried were large, heavy items, usually
The handgun evolution effectively began with the advent chambered in big calibers of .50 in and above. They were
of the wheellock system in the early 16th century. also, by virtue of being muzzle loaders, slow to load.
Wheellock guns provided pure mechanical ignition, not Handguns stretched to their full potential during the
requiring a smoldering slow match, and so could be technological revolutions of the 19th century. These came
GERMAN WHEELLOCK
DATE 1620 This pistol was made by Lorenz Herold, who is
ORIGIN Germany recorded as working in Nuremburg from 1572
WEIGHT 3 lb (1.3 kg) until his death in 1622. However, this model
is stamped with the Augsburg control mark.
BARREL 17 in (43 cm)
Therefore, Herold was either working in both
CALIBER .573 regions, or buying in Augsburg-made barrels.
10 pistols & revolvers
Jaw to hold
iron pyrites
WHEELLOCK CARBINE
DATE 1650 Made by German gunmaker Hans Ruhr, this
ORIGIN Germany wheellock features a short, flattened butt.
WEIGHT 3 lb (1.3 kg) The steel butt-plate is drilled with a cavity—
possibly to contain a cartridge or powder
BARREL 20½ in (52 cm)
Spring-loaded measure. The stock is inlaid with scroll-work
CALIBER.500 in in steel wire featuring a cherub’s head.
metal wheel
Clamp screw
Pistol grip
Ramrod
Ramrod
HOLSTER PISTOL
DATE c.1650 This holster pistol has a recognizably
ORIGIN England angular handgun layout, which meant
WEIGHT 3 lb (1.3 kg) the user could store the gun in a holster
while on horseback. Every aspect of
BARREL Not known
the gun is highly decorated, including
CALIBER .58 in a large pommel at the end of the grip.
Pommel acting
as counterbalance
wheellock pistols 11
FAMOUS GUNS
ITALIAN WHEELLOCK
DATE 1635 This wheellock was produced in Brescia, Italy,
ORIGIN Italy by the famed gunmaker Giovanni Battista
WEIGHT 1¾ lb (0.75 kg) Francino. Francino built his reputation on the
high quality of finish, fine balance, and the
BARREL 10¼ in (26 cm)
superb lockwork of his guns, and he often
12 pistols & revolvers CALIBER .525 made paired pistols for affluent customers.
WHEELLOCKS PERFORMED
WELL, EVEN IN DAMP
CONDITIONS.
Cock
Spring holds
cock in place
BATTLE OF NASEBY
A Roundhead soldier fires
a wheellock pistol at King
Charles’ Cavalier Army
during the Battle of Naseby
(1645.) This conflict was
the key battle of the
English Civil War.
Jaw-clamp
screw Pan
1550–1700
Wheellock pistols were never destined to become mass-market
firearms, although they did draw out official concern—the
Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I banned their
use in 1517, and several other monarchs
followed suit. Yet the process by which
they were produced required
relatively rare levels of expertise
on the part of the gunmaker, Feather spring
hence they were
expensive guns to buy.
Trigger guard
The solution lay in a Striker for
upper barrel
new lock system that used Rounded
butt
a struck flint as the means Cock
of powder ignition. The Dutch
snaphaunce lock, a precursor to the
flintlock, emerged in the 1540s. This featured a
flint gripped in the jaws of a spring-loaded hammer,
which when released struck a steel and directed
a shower of sparks into the priming pan.
The new system caught hold quickly,
and evolved toward the emergence
of the true flintlock in the early 1600s. Barrel Striker for
release lower
barrel
Flattened
pommel
Side-mounted
ramrod
Stag-horn inlay
Trigger
Escutchion plate
Metal-bound butt
DICK TURPIN
Born on September 21, 1706 in London Turpin’s
childhood was immersed in smuggling and crime.
In his late teens he was forced to flee into the
Essex countryside, northeast of London, after
being discovered cattle rustling—a capital
offense in 18th century England.
Flint-clamping
Frizzen screw
PARTNERS IN CRIME
Dick Turpin shoots at soldiers who had arrested
his partner Tom King in 1737. Turpin and King
met one night when the former attempted to
rob the latter. They quickly established a
partnership and set up a base in an extensive
cave system within Epping Forest, Essex.
FLINTLOCK PISTOLS Ramrod-retaining thimble
1700–1775
Fore sight
By the early 1700s, the flintlock mechanism was becoming the dominant lock
system in European firearms manufacture, steadily replacing the snaphaunce
and miquelet systems. The former had a mechanically operated pan cover,
which opened via an arm or plunger link when the cock was released, exposing
the priming powder to the flint’s sparks. Miquelet locks developed in Spain
during the early 17th century, had a combined steel and pan cover
Twin cocks Ramrod
that was spring activated and driven forward by the impact
Frizzen
of the cock. The flintlock, by combining the snaphaunce’s (striker)
attached to
internal workings and the miquelet’s steel and pan cover pan cover
Upper barrel
arrangement, brought a reliable gun (depending
on the quality of production) and an easier
process of manufacture that galvanized
European firearms ownership.
Lock plate
Figured
walnut
stock
Frizzen spring
flips up cover, Ramrod-retaining
revealing pan thimble
Trigger for
upper barrel
Trigger for DOUBLE-BARRELED PISTOL
lower barrel DATE 1700 This is one of a pair of excellent English twin-
ORIGIN England lock, double-barreled, over-and-under pistols.
WEIGHT 3 lb (1.4 kg) It was made by the émigré Dutch gunmaker
Andrew Dolep in London at the turn of the
BARREL 13 in (33 cm)
17th/18th centuries. The right-hand lock and
Butt is brass-bound CALIBER .5 in the forward trigger fire the lower barrel.
Cock
Screws
ENGLISH PISTOL retain
DATE c.1720 A pistol such as this would have been carried lock
ORIGIN England in a holster on the saddle of a horse (gun
WEIGHT 2 lb (0.88 kg) holsters worn by people were later inventions).
Holster pistols were heavy, with long barrels, Trigger guard
BARREL 10 in (25.4 cm)
and metal butt caps. After being discharged
CALIBER .64 in they were often used as bludgeons.
Fore sight
Cock
Unstocked
Shortened round barrel
striker
Lower barrel
Screw-in
breech block
BREECHLOADING PISTOL
Butt is DATE c.1725 This miquelet-lock pistol is from Ripoll,
bound in ORIGIN Spain Catalonia, a key gunmaking town in the
silver 17th and 18th centuries. The breech block
WEIGHT 3½ lb (1.6 kg)
Trigger guard screws out with one full turn of the trigger
BARREL 10 in (25.4 cm)
is prolonged guard to which it is attached, allowing the
into a lever CALIBER .55 in ball and powder charge to be inserted.
SCOTTISH PISTOL
DATE c.1750 It was the fashion in Scotland during the 18th century
ORIGIN Scotland to make pistols entirely of brass or iron, with their entire
WEIGHT 1¾ lb (0.79 kg) surface covered by intricate engraving. Typically, they
lacked trigger guards. Most were snaphaunces; this example
BARREL 9 in (23 cm)
is unusual in that it is a flintlock. It was made by Thomas
CALIBER .57 in Cadell of Doune, who made some of the best iron pistols.
Lock plate
Silver
medallion set
into butt Cock has lost
upper jaw to
Trigger flint clamp
has lost
its finial Steel striker
ball is missing
Engraved
box lock Tap
Trigger
FULL VIEW
Barrel is
engraved
all over
Ramrod is missing
Cock
Blade fore sight
Langets extend
from brass
butt cap
Ramrod
LIÈGE PISTOL
Trigger DATE 1765 Made in the city of Liège by M. Delince,
guard ORIGIN Belgium this holster pistol appears to have been
WEIGHT 2 lb (0.88 kg) shortened at the muzzle, and shows the
signs of hard use. Oddly, for a gun made
BARREL 9 in (23 cm)
so late in the 18th century, this example
CALIBER .62 in has no reinforcing bridle on its lock.
FIREARMS in lemon-shaped
pommel
FULL VIEW
Engraved,
inlaid lock plate
FLINTLOCK PISTOL
DATE Late 18th century A pistol such as this—stocked all the way
ORIGIN Turkey to the muzzle, with its woodwork copiously
WEIGHT Not known inlaid, and its lock, barrel, and trigger guard
decorated with silver and gold—would have
BARREL Not known
graced any arms cabinet in the Ottoman world.
CALIBER Not known The lock appears to be of European pattern.
Striking steel Decoration extends to muzzle
FLINTLOCK PISTOL
DATE 18th century With the gentle fall to the butt and the slim
ORIGIN Turkey “lemon” pommel, this pistol is reminiscent of
WEIGHT Not known European pieces of a century or more earlier.
BARREL This flintlock also displays the common
Not known
trademark of Ottoman gunmakers: gilded
CALIBER Not known decoration surrounding the muzzle.
Barrel is
Gilt appliqué left unblued
Decorated
lock plate Flared
Silver inlay muzzle
Saddle bar
FLINTLOCK BLUNDERBUSS
DATE Early 18th century Despite its being furnished with a shoulder stock that is
ORIGIN Turkey incised, carved, and inlaid with silver, this blunderbuss
WEIGHT Not known is actually a large horse pistol. The work of “the Dervish
Incised Amrullah,” according to an engraved inscription, it was
BARREL 13½ in (34.3 cm)
Carved checkering clearly made for use by a cavalryman, as it has a bar
walnut stock on grip CALIBER Not known and ring for suspension from a saddle.
ottoman empire firearms 25
INDIAN Flint clamp screw
FIREARMS
Cock
Pan
Checkered grip
Trigger guard
Ramrod
Ramrod pipe
Serpentine
Pan
Feather spring Steel barrel
MATCHLOCK PISTOL
DATE c.1800 Matchlock pistols were a rarity in Europe, but
ORIGIN Northern India were manufactured in small numbers in Asia.
Trigger WEIGHT 1¾ lb (0.75 kg) This example, from the turn of the 18th/19th
centuries, was produced in northern India. The
BARREL 9¾ in (24.5 cm)
items below the pan are a holder for the prickers
CALIBER18-bore and a ring to which its chain was attached.
indian firearms 27
FAMOUS GUNSLINGERS
BLACKBEARD
Edward Teach, better known to history as the pirate Blackbeard, hailed Flint-clamping
screw
from the west of England and lived from c.1680 to November 22, 1718.
Having been a privateer during the War of the Spanish Succession
(1701–13), Teach turned to outright piracy in 1716, becoming the Cock
commander of his own pirate vessel the following year. For two years
Teach brought a reign of terror to the eastern seas of the Americas
and West Indies, building a reputation for merciless violence.
Holder for
ramrod
Turning tap
delivers Internal, side-by-
priming to side box-locks
lower barrel
Jaw clamp
screw
Trigger guard
retains bayonet Striking
in closed position steel
Rectangular
box enclosing
lock mechanism
Trigger
Rear “trigger”
releases bayonet
32 pistols & revolvers
Cock
Prawl Smooth-bore
barrel
Fore stock
extends to
muzzle
Ramrod
Feather spring
Brass barrel
BLUNDERBUSS PISTOL
DATE 1785 The blunderbuss (from the Dutch donderbus, or “thunder
ORIGIN UK gun”) was a close-range weapon, its bell mouth aiding the
WEIGHT 2 lb (0.95 kg) loading and dispersal of the shot. This box-lock model was
the work of John Waters of Birmingham, England, who held
BARREL 7½ in (19 cm)
Spring-loaded a patent on the pistol bayonet. Officers of the British Royal
CALIBER 1 in at muzzle Navy often used such pistols during boarding operations.
bayonet
COLT
There are few names in the world of gunmaking as famous WWII. After a serious post-war slump between 1945 and 1959,
as Colt. In 1836 Samuel Colt established the Patent Arms Colt’s business picked up in the 1960s with US military demand
Manufacturing Company in Paterson, New Jersey, to for Colt’s M16 rifle. Military/law enforcement M16/M4 orders,
manufacture revolvers and rifles. This company fell into plus sales of replica Colt revolvers and new auto handgun series
bankruptcy in 1842, but Colt continued his sales efforts, have maintained Colt’s strong position ever since.
resulting in an army order for 1,000 revolvers in 1846.
By 1855 Colt had opened major factories in Hartford,
Connecticut, and London, England, and by the next year
production was running at about 150 guns a day. Samuel Colt
died in 1862, but the Colt name prospered in family hands for
the rest of the century. Product lines expanded from revolvers
to automatic handguns (such as the M1911) and machine guns,
and this diversity bought major war contracts during WWI and Fore sight
HANDMADE HANDGUNS
A Colt employee fits a hammer to Double
a pistol during the manufacturing action
process at the Colt factory in trigger
Hartford, Connecticut.
Six-round
cylinder
Rammer
lever
Cylinder
colt 35
FLINTLOCK PISTOLS Jaw-clamp
screw
1800–1850
The early 19th century continued the movement toward standardization
of firearms begun in earnest in the 1700s. Pistols became standard
auxiliary weapons to the sword in cavalry forces, resulting in the plain
appearance of mass-market firearms—decoration was an
unnecessary expense. The quality control in manufacturing
common parts, however, was often extremely poor, and
there were many inferior pistols available. Typical
failures included broken mainsprings and
badly constructed steels. High-quality
handguns were still available, although
these commanded the highest price
tags. Only with the development
of true mass-production
engineering technologies
in the mid 19th century Trigger
arms improve.
Ramrod retainer
Striking swivels so rod
steel can be turned and
inserted in muzzle
Crown over “GR”
—the mark of all Feather spring
four King Georges flicks pan open
as flint falls Brass forestock cap
Brass-bound
butt
One-piece stock
made of seasoned
walnut
Ramrod Wooden
Round ramrod with
brass thimble
brass cap
barrel
Ramrod-
retaining
boss
Steel ramrod
Striking
Brass steel FLEMISH POCKET PISTOL
trigger
guard Flashpan DATE 1805 This simple box-lock pocket pistol has an
ORIGIN Netherlands integral spring-loaded bayonet, operated by
WEIGHT 1 lb (0.5 kg) pulling back on the trigger guard. There is
some engraving on the lock plates and the butt
Safety catch BARREL 4¼ in (10.9 cm)
is finely carved. It is the work of A. Juliard,
locks pan CALIBER 33-bore a Flemish gunmaker of some repute.
closed
Octagonal barrel
Curved walnut
butt
flintlock pistols 1800–1850 39
PERCUSSION-CAP
Hammer
Engraved
Butt has
The percussion cap revolutionized the history of firearms. Percussion systems used incised
decoration
impact-detonated priming powder to ignite the gun’s main charge, and by the early
1820s the percussion cap had emerged. This contained the primer in a small copper
cylinder (the cap) that was open at one end. The cap was placed on a hollow nipple,
essentially an updated version of the touch-hole, under the hammer. When the
Trigger is
hammer fell and crushed the cap, the fulminate detonated and the intense flash was pre-set to
a very
directed down the nipple to the chamber. The key advantages of the percussion cap light pull
were reliability, as there was no more loose priming powder, and the greatly enhanced
lock time—the speed between releasing the hammer and the gun being fired. Incised
checkering
Cap fits on butt
Hammer over nipple
Incised Fore sight
checkering
on butt
Octagonal barrel
Maker’s
name Slide secures
barrel in lock
Steadying spur
Octagonal barrel
Ramrod thimble
Trigger
FULL VIEW
Steadying spur
Combined main
spring and hammer
Checkering
on butt
Barrels
Nipples set rotate on
horizontally axial pin
Plain
walnut
stock
Ramrod retainer
swivels to allow
Lock captive rod to be
plate inserted in barrel
FULL VIEW
SHARPS BREECHLOADING PISTOL
DATE c.1860 Christian Sharps was famous for his breech-
ORIGIN US loading rifles and carbines for military and
WEIGHT 2 lb (0.96 kg) sport use. He also made pistols based on the
same principles as his early rifles. The falling
BARREL 5 in (12.7 cm)
breech cut off the rear of the linen cartridge
CALIBER .34 in when it was returned to battery.
percussion-cap pistols 43
FAMOUS GUNS
1850–1900 Cylinder-
locking
screw
Samuel Colt did not, arguably, invent the revolver. What he did do, however, was
take many of the revolving-cylinder experiments of earlier firearms and synthesize
them into a successful working handgun, all at the age of only 21. His UK
patent was granted in 1835, the US patent following in 1836. Colt’s design
utilized a pawl attached to the hammer to rotate the cylinder, the pawl
engaging with a ratchet on the rear of the cylinder. To rotate the
cylinder from one chamber to the next, the hammer was pulled
back and cocked, the pawl simultaneously moving the cylinder
the appropriate turn to bring the next chamber, and its
exposed percussion cap, into line with both hammer and
barrel. A vertical bolt locked the cylinder for firing.
Stud
trigger
One-piece
varnished
walnut grips
AMMUNITION
The powder and projectile were
made into simple cartridges with Walnut grips
combustible cases made of fabric,
rendered waterproof and rigid by
an application of varnish.
Rammer lever
Octagonal barrel
Rammer
lever
Rammer
pivot pin
Rammer
Brass back
strap
Rammer Rammer
pivot pin lever
Rammer
Walnut
grips
Hammer nose
extension
Smooth-bore
Rifled barrel barrel acts as
and cylinder cylinder axis pin
screw onto
smooth-bore
barrel
Round
barrel
WYATT EARP
Wyatt Earp’s turbulent life has been so COLT MODEL 1873 SINGLE-ACTION ARMY
embellished that it is difficult to get at the truth. DATE 1873 The Colt SAA married the single-action lock of
ORIGIN US the Dragoon model to a bored-through cylinder
However, he remains one of the Wild West’s most WEIGHT 2½ lb (1.1 kg) in a solid frame, into which the barrel was
screwed. It was loaded, and the spent case
famous lawmen, with several legendary gunfights to BARREL 7½ in (19 cm)
ejected, by way of the gate on the right of the
CALIBER .45 in frame, and a spring-loaded ejector was fitted.
his credit, including that at the OK Corral on
October 26, 1881 in Tombstone, Arizona. That shoot
out, stemming from longstanding tension between the
Earp brothers and the Clanton and MacLaury brothers,
resulted in three dead and three wounded, Wyatt Notched hammer
acts as rear sight
being the only person to come out unharmed.
Barrel screws
into frame
FULL VIEW
CAP REVOLVERS
1850–1900 Engraved plate
covers double-
action lock
Rammer
lever
Five-chambered
Recessed cylinder Octagonal Fore sight
nipple barrel
Side-mounted
hammer
Cylinder
Flash
axis pin
cylinder Rammer
lever
Fore sight
Screw secures
Flash barrel to
guard frame
Trigger guard
54
TRANSITIONAL REVOLVER
DATE c.1855 By the late 1850s, there was considerable demand in Britain for
ORIGIN UK cylinder revolvers, but the best of them, by Colt, Deane, or
WEIGHT 1¾ lb (0.81 kg) Adams, were very expensive. Cheaper designs such as this
example, with a bar hammer derived from a pepperbox revolver,
BARREL 5¼ in (13.5 cm)
were less satisfactory, with a tendency to discharge two cylinders
CALIBER .4 in at once because of the lack of partitions between the nipples.
Octagonal barrel
Nipple
Octagonal barrel Cylinder axis pin Spurless hammer
Safety catch
ADAMS REVOLVERS
WERE ROBUST FIREARMS,
AND SOME AMERICAN
OFFICERS PREFERRED OWNING
AN ADAMS TO AN INDIGENOUS
COLT OR REMINGTON.
REVOLVERS
After Colt’s percussion cap revolver, the next big advance in Prawl prevents
pistol slipping
pistol design was powered by Horace Smith and Daniel through hand
under recoil
Wesson. In 1856 they bought a patent from gunsmith
Rollin White, who had produced a revolver concept in
which the chambers were bored through the whole
length of the cylinder to enable breechloading. For
Smith and Wesson it was the perfect system to
incorporate their new .22 rimfire cartridge (meaning
the primer is distributed around the rim of the
cartridge base). It transformed handguns,
making fast reloading possible—no more
fiddling with percussion caps. For the next 13
years, Smith & Wesson had legal control over
the breechloading pistol design even as new,
more powerful centerfire cartridges (with
Trigger guard
a percussion cap centrally located in with steadying
spur
the base) became the norm.
Butt-retaining
screw
Hammer Hinge
Barrels positioned
one above the other
Stud trigger
Plain Extractor-rod
walnut housing
grip
Extractor rod
Blade fore sight
Hammer
Five-round
cylinder
Colt logo
FULL VIEW
Frame
opening catch Six-round
cylinder
Hinged knife
blade
Frame
catch
Hammer
Rib reinforces
barrel
Cylinder
axis pin
TIFFANY MAGNUM
DATE 1989 Smith & Wesson has produced
ORIGIN US various decorated “Tiffany-
WEIGHT Not known style” revolvers. This gun, based
on a .44 Magnum Model 29,
BARREL 6 in (15 cm)
features a cast decorated grip
62 pistols & revolvers CALIBER .44 Magnum produced in silver and gold.
THE SMITH & WESSON “ZIP-UP”
SYSTEM OF RELOADING WAS AN INSTANT SUCCESS.
Forward sight
.357 MAGNUM
Developed in 1935 this
bullet has since been
produced in many varieties.
Cylinder
MODEL 27
DATE 1938 Smith & Wesson produced a huge variety of pistols
ORIGIN US chambered for the various Magnum calibers—.357 and
WEIGHT 3 lb (1.4 kg) .44 are only the most common—on light, intermediate,
and heavy frames. The heavy Model 27, in .357 caliber,
BARREL 11¾ in (30 cm)
was the most popular model, and was produced with 4 in
CALIBER .357 Magnum (10.2 cm), 6 in (15.2 cm), and 8 in (21.3 cm) barrels.
Hammer spur
Lanyard ring
smith & wesson 63
EARLY SELF-
LOADING PISTOLS
The first experiments with self-loading pistols occurred back in the 1850s,
but only with the development of box magazines in the 1880s did they
become viable. Building on principles explored through Hiram Maxim’s
machine gun, gunsmiths also realized that the force of recoil on firing could
be used to operate a pistol’s cycle of ejecting the spent case and reloading a
fresh round. The first steps were taken in Austria, with the likes of Joseph
Laumann and Anton Schonberger producing unsuccessful auto models,
Cylinder-indexing grooves
before the German Hugo
Borchardt, having returned
to Germany after 30 years
working for US gunmakers,
designed a relatively reliable
7.65 mm self-loading pistol. Cylinder-
Slide
retaining wedge
Although Borchardt’s gun
was not a commercial success,
it laid the mechanical .455 WEBLEY
groundwork for the infamous Webley’s first smokeless
powder cartridge was
Luger handgun and also more powerful than
earlier types.
demonstrated the now
almost universal auto-
handgun principle of a WEBLEY-FOSBERY
DATE 1900 In 1899, Colonel George Fosbery
removable magazine ORIGIN UK designed a self-cocking revolver in
WEIGHT 2½ lb (1.1 kg) which recoil propelled the barrel and
loaded into the pistol grip. cylinder backward within a slide,
BARREL 7½ in (19 cm)
indexing the cylinder. It proved too
CALIBER .455 in fragile for battlefield conditions.
Steadying grip
MARS
The designer insisted on
a heavy propellant load
for the Mars bullet.
GABBETT-FAIRFAX “MARS”
DATE 1898 Perhaps inspired by the Mauser’s success,
ORIGIN UK Hugh Gabbett-Fairfax wanted to produce
WEIGHT 3½ lb (1.55 kg) a super-powerful pistol; the result was
the Mars. Described by users as “a
BARREL 11½ in (26.5 cm)
nightmare,” it was complex, awkward,
CALIBER .45 in and unwieldy, with a vicious recoil.
Butt houses
Recoil
spring
housing
Leather holster
BORCHARDT C/93
DATE 1894 In Borchardt’s pioneering design, a toggle joint locks the bolt in place.
ORIGIN Germany Recoil forces the toggle to break upward, the bolt travels to the rear
WEIGHT 3¾ lb (1.66 kg) against a coil spring, and the spent case is ejected. Rebounding, the bolt
picks up a fresh round, chambers it, and leaves the action cocked for the
BARREL 6½ in (16.5 cm)
next shot. The gun was a commercial failure; only 3,000 were produced,
CALIBER 7.63 mm and it was discontinued in 1898 due to the competition from Mauser.
Recoil spring
housing
MAUSER C/96
Loading/ejection
The C/96 was designed by three brothers surnamed port
MAUSER C/96
DATE 1896 The “Broomhandle” Mauser
ORIGIN Germany Selbstladepistole soon became
WEIGHT 2½ lb (1.1 kg) popular in military circles
thanks to its very powerful
BARREL 5½ in (14 cm)
ammunition. It remained in
CALIBER 7.65 mm manufacture until 1937.
MAUSER ON FILM
British Prime Minister Winston
Churchill carried a Mauser C/96
during the battle of Omdurman
in 1898, a shoulder injury
preventing him from using a
saber. Here, Simon Ward plays
the title role in the 1972 film
Young Winston.
Fore sight
SELF-LOADING
PISTOLS 1900–1920
The likes of Borchardt, Mauser, and Bergmann had produced serviceable
automatic pistols in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, but these tended to be
either too expensive or unwieldy for widespead service. Colt’s M1911 pistol
signaled, alongside the Luger P’08, the true birth of practical automatic handguns.
The M1911 held eight rounds of powerful .45 in ammunition in its detachable
box magazine, and utilized a new short-recoil system in which the recoil powered a Recoil spring
housing
slide along the top of the gun, which in turn powered the cycle of ejection and Hold-open catch holds
the slide back
reloading. This system—much copied ever since—was extremely rugged and
reliable. It was not the only one,
however, and by the 1920s
most major gunmaking
nations were embracing
workable automatic
handgun technologies.
COLT M1902
DATE 1902 As well as the Model 1900 pocket pistol, Browning
ORIGIN US designed a series of military self-loading pistols in
WEIGHT 2¼ lb (1.02 kg) .38 ACP caliber, with an unsatisfactory double-link
locking system that produced a jerky action. That,
BARREL 6 in (15.2 cm)
and the light rounds they fired, disqualified them
CALIBER .38 in ACP in the eyes of the US Army.
Butt houses seven-
round removable
magazine
70 pistols & revolvers
Rear sight
Hammer
Safety
catch
Patent data
Lever holds
slide back
for stripping
Grip safety
Magazine catch
COLT M1911A1
DATE 1909 onward Browning designed the Colt M1911 in response to
ORIGIN US a demand by soldiers fighting Moro rebels in the
WEIGHT 2½ lb (1.1 kg) Philippines. They wanted a pistol firing the heavy
.45 round in place of the less-effective .38-caliber
BARREL 5 in (12.7 cm)
revolvers with which they were issued. The
CALIBER .45 in ACP example shown here is a later M1911A1.
.45 ACP
The .45 Automatic Colt Pistol
round was developed for the
John Browning-designed M1911.
Lanyard eye
Fore sight
Fore sight
Hammer
Loading/ejector port
STEYR-MANNLICHER M1905
DATE 1905 Produced by Werndl at Steyr, the M1905
ORIGIN Austria-Hungary was the last in a series of designs executed
WEIGHT 2¼ lb (0.9 kg) by Ferdinand von Mannlicher, who was better
known for his rifles. It was complicated and Butt houses
BARREL 6¼ in (16 cm) ten-round fixed
expensive to manufacture, and as a
CALIBER 7.63 mm consequence, was short-lived. magazine
Hammer (or
“hahn”)
Safety catch
Butt houses
eight-round fixed
magazine
Hold-open
lever
Magazine catch
LUGER P’08
DATE 1908 One of the best-known guns in the world, with almost iconic status,
ORIGIN Germany the Pistole ’08 was designed by Georg Luger in 1900. He copied many
WEIGHT 2 lb (0.8 kg) features of Borchardt’s gun of seven years earlier, but adopted a leaf
recoil spring and moved it into the butt, improving the overall balance
BARREL 4 in (10 cm)
considerably. Luger also produced improved ammunition for his pistol,
CALIBER 9 mm Parabellum the “Parabellum” round, which was to become the world standard.
Concealed hammer
Fore sight
20-round
fixed Cocking grip
magazine Safety catch Ejector port
Fore sight
8 MM NAMBU
The Japanese officer’s pistols
issued from 1909 onward were
the only weapons ever made for
this powerful round.
Magazine catch
NAMBU TAISHO 14
DATE 1920 The first Nambu pistols appeared in 1909.
Butt houses eight-
ORIGIN Japan Though they were clearly influenced by the round removable
WEIGHT 2¼ lb (0.9 kg) Luger P’08, they have nothing in common magazine
with it internally, the unlocking of the bolt
BARREL 4¾ in (12 cm)
from the barrel being achieved by
CALIBER 8 mm Nambu the rotation of a linking block.
SELF-LOADING Fore sight
PISTOLS 1920–1945
During WWI revolvers remained common side arms, and indeed remained
dominant among many armies. Some nations, however, introduced automatic
handguns as standard equipment for their officers. US soldiers carried the Colt
M1911. Austro-Hungary fielded a variety of automatics, including the M1896
and M1905 Mannlichers and the Steyr M12, while German soldiers took the
Mauser C/96 and Luger P’08. All proved themselves under the combat
conditions of the Western Front, not only with officers but also with trench-
raiding parties, who valued portable close-range firepower over an unwieldy Semi-shrouded
hammer
long-range rifle. By WWII, the number of different automatic handgun types
worldwide had proliferated tremendously, and
ranged from the excellent 9 mm Browning HP
to the chronically bad Japanese Type 94.
Fore sight
Hold-open
lever
RADOM M1935
DATE 1935 The Radom was similar in concept to the
ORIGIN Poland Browning High Power, but it was more
WEIGHT 2¼ lb (1.05 kg) compact and had extra security features.
These included a device that dropped the
BARREL 4½ in (11.5 cm)
hammer and retracted the firing pin, allowing
CALIBER9 mm Parabellum the pistol to be fired safely with one hand.
BERETTA
Beretta is not only the world’s oldest gunmaker, it is also one handguns, machine guns, and submachine guns, all of superb
of the oldest firms in history to remain in family hands. First quality and backed by high sales. A crowning achievement came
evidence of its existence dates back to 1526, when gunmaker during the 1980s, when the Beretta 92 was selected to become
Mastro Bartolomeo Beretta was given 296 ducats for 185 the US Army’s official replacement for the Colt M1911.
arquebus barrels sold to the Arsenal of Venice. The company
subsequently produced a variety of long arms and handguns
for military and sport gun customers. Beretta’s ascent to
international dominance began under the directorship of Pietro
Beretta (1870–1957), who took over the company in 1903 and
upgraded their production process. By 1915 Beretta was also
manufacturing automatic pistols, a weapon type for which it
would subsequently become famous. Throughout the 20th
century Beretta diversified, making assault rifles, shotguns, Trigger guard
ITALIAN CRAFTSMANSHIP
Pistol engraving is a delicate
process so the gun needs to be
secured by means of a tight-
fitting mold or vice.
BERETTA 318
DATE 1935 The Beretta Modello 318 was produced in Italy
ORIGIN Italy from 1935 to 1943. It was one of a developing
WEIGHT 1¼ lb (0.5 kg) line of Beretta small-frame pistols in 6.35 mm
(.25 ACP) introduced in 1919, and it was
BARREL 2¼ in (5.7 cm)
exported in decent numbers to the United States,
CALIBER .25 ACP where it sold under the name Bantam or Panther.
BERETTA 9000S
DATE 2001 The Beretta 9000S is a 9 mm or .40 S&W
ORIGIN Italy automatic handgun with a polymer frame
WEIGHT 2½ lb (1.1 kg) and a 10-shot magazine. It is both single-
and double-action, and has good safety
BARREL 3¼ in (8 cm)
features, such as an automatic firing pin
CALIBER .4 in / 9 mm block alongside a manual safety switch.
Fore sight
Magazine
BERETTA 89 TARGET
DATE 1989 The Beretta 89 is an automatic blowback-
ORIGIN Italy powered handgun designed for competitive
WEIGHT 1¾ lb (0.8 kg) target shooting. Along with the Model 87, the
89 is a single-action gun and is built for high
BARREL 6 in (15 cm)
accuracy, with a heavy barrel, an adjustable
CALIBER .22 LR rear sight, and even the facility for a scope.
beretta 79
Hammer
Recoil
spring
housing
Hold-open lever
holds slide back
Safety
catch
STAR MODEL M
DATE 1932 Manufactured by Echeverria in Eibar, the
ORIGIN Spain Star was one of the best of many copies of
the Colt M1911, though it lacked the grip Butt houses
WEIGHT 2¼ lb (1.07 kg) eight-round
safety that the Colt had acquired by the mid-
BARREL 5 in (12.5 cm) removable
1920s. It was produced in a variety of
CALIBER 9 mm Largo magazine
models and calibers until the mid-1980s.
Data
engraved Grip for pulling Lanyard eye
Fore sight slide to rear
on slide
Hammer
Recoil
spring
housing
Safety
Recoil Hold-open lever catch
spring retains slide to rear
housing
BROWNING GP35
DATE 1935 The High Power model was taken up by the
ORIGIN Belgium Belgian Army. During World War II, plans Magazine
WEIGHT 2¼ lb (0.99 kg) for it were smuggled to Britain, and it was release catch
put into production in Canada. It was the
BARREL 4¾ in (11.8 cm)
first self-loading pistol adopted by the
CALIBER 9 mm Parabellum British Army, in 1954.
STECHKIN APS
DATE 1960s The Stechkin was an unsuccessful attempt
ORIGIN USSR to produce a fully-automatic pistol for use
WEIGHT 2¼ lb (1.03 kg) by security forces. Like the Makarov, it was
an unlocked blowback design based on the
BARREL 5 in (12.7 cm)
American Walther PP. In automatic mode
CALIBER 9 mm Makarov it was practically uncontrollable.
20-round
double-column
magazine in butt
9 MM PARABELLUM
The word “parabellum” is derived
from the Latin meaning “if you
seek peace, prepare for war.”
Hold-open lever
holds slide to rear
Magazine
release catch
Hold-open
MAK AROV PM lever retains
slide to rear
DATE 1950s The Tokarev’s replacement as the standard
ORIGIN USSR Red Army side-arm was a copy of the
WEIGHT 1½ lb (0.7 kg) Walther PP, with double-action and a
two-stage safety device. Its ammunition was
BARREL 3¾ in (9.7 cm)
about as powerful as could safely be used in Butt houses removable
CALIBER 9 mm Makarov a blowback design at that time. eight-round magazine
PLASTIC PISTOLS ARE
LIGHT AND TOUGH.
THE ONLY METAL PARTS
ARE THE BARREL AND
THE ACTION ITSELF.
Enclosed hammer
Push-button
safety catch
Burst-fire
selector
Butt houses
18-round
magazine
Enlarged
trigger guard
Fiber-reinforced
polymer shoulder
stock
GLOCK 17
The Glock 17 is one of Austria’s most famous firearms
exports, a superb auto handgun that has enjoyed great
commercial success. It is a short-recoil operated
gun—a single trigger pull first cocks the striker and
releases a firing pin lock, then releases the striker.
Butt houses
17-round
magazine
Slide
Silencer
BERETTA MODEL 70
DATE 1951 The small Beretta is easy to conceal and can be
ORIGIN Israel loaded with reduced-charge cartridges in order Safety
to increase the effectiveness of the silencer. button
WEIGHT Not known
This adaptation of a Model 70 was issued to
BARREL Not known
members of Israel’s Special Operations’
CALIBER 7.65 mm assassination teams (known as kidon.)
Magazine
floorplate
THE BERETTA MODEL 70
IS THE FAVORED FIREARM
OF ISRAEL’S SPECIAL
OPERATIONS UNIT ( MOSSAD ).
Slide
Slide catch/
release
Data engraving
Maker’s mark
HELWAN
DATE 1965 The Helwan is an Egyptian
ORIGIN Egypt licensed version of the
WEIGHT 2 lb (0.87 kg) Beretta Model 1951 Brigadier,
a single-action 9 mm auto
BARREL 4½ in (11 cm)
handgun with an eight-round
CALIBER 9 mm magazine capacity.
Muzzle
brake
Adjustable
rear sight
Extended barrel
Magazine
release catch
LAR GRIZZLY MK IV
DATE 1985 The LAR Grizzly handgun was developed as a high-
ORIGIN US power hunting or silhouette-shooting weapon. It is
WEIGHT 3 lb (1.35 kg) based upon the classic Colt M1911, most of the
differences being related to size and minor external
BARREL 6½ in (16.5 cm)
features. The Mk 1 came with caliber conversion kits;
CALIBER .44 Magnum the Mk IV, by contrast, is only available in .44 Magnum.
Hammer
Identification data
Milled
cocking grip
Recurved trigger
guard to facilitate
two-handed grip Safety catch
DIRTY HARRY
Few guns are so identifiable with a single film character
as the Smith & Wesson .44 Magnum, forever linked with
Clint’s Eastwood’s “Dirty” Harry Callahan. The specific
gun used by Callahan is the Model 29 with an 8¼ in
(21 cm) barrel (the Model 29 is available in three other
barrel lengths, two shorter and one longer).
Checkered grip
Luminous
front sight
“
I KNOW WHAT YOU’RE THINKING.
‘DID HE FIRE
SIX SHOTS OR
ONLY FIVE?’
”
DIRTY HARRY, 1971
REVOLVERS
1900–1945
Cylinder axis and
One of the central applications of the revolver was in law ejector rod
enforcement, and during the late 19th and early 20th centuries
certain models became standard police issue. In the United
States, Colt and Smith & Wesson both made lucrative deals
with state police units, most of the guns being sturdy solid-
frame designs with swing-out cylinders. Suited for
police needs, these guns could be quickly
COLT POLICE POSITIVE
emptied by use of a star extractor, a rod- DATE 1905 In 1905 Colt modified its Official
US Police revolver, fitting the Positive
operated device designed back in the 1800s ORIGIN
lock with an intercepting safety
WEIGHT 1¼ lb (0.6 kg)
that pushed all spent (or otherwise) cartridge BARREL 4 in (10.2 cm)
device. In various forms, the Police
Positive stayed in production for
cases out simultaneously. A big issue to CALIBER .38 in well over half a century.
Cylinder
holds six
rounds
Maker’s mark
Trigger guard
Grip retaining
screw COLT NEW SERVICE
DATE 1907 The Colt New Service was the last standard-issue
ORIGIN US service revolver produced by Colt for the US Army.
WEIGHT 2½ lb (1.15 kg) Unbreakable under normal conditions, it had a solid-
frame design with a swing-out cylinder. The British
BARREL 5½ in (14.4 cm)
Army also bought them in great numbers, chambered,
CALIBER .455 Eley like this example, for the .455 Eley round.
revolvers 1900–1945 95
THE .38 SPECIAL CARTRIDGE WAS
PRACTICALLY THE STANDARD-ISSUE ROUND
IN THE US POLICE FOR 60 YEARS.
Hammer
Ejector rod
Cylinder holds
Grip-retaining
six .38 Spl-caliber
screw
rounds
COLT AGENT
DATE 1955 The Colt Agent was a lightweight version of the
ORIGIN US popular snub-nosed Colt Detective’s Special. The Agent
WEIGHT ½ lb (0.23 kg) had an aluminum frame and an alloy cylinder. The
butt was also shortened slightly. All of these features
BARREL 2 in (5 cm)
reduced the weight of the gun, but some safety issues
CALIBER .38 Spl hindered its sales and it was eventually discontinued.
96 pistols & revolvers
Spurless
hammer
Cylinder holds
six .38-caliber rounds
ENFIELD NO.2 MK 1
DATE 1938 After World War I, the British Army
ORIGIN UK decided to adopt a lighter caliber for its
WEIGHT 1¾ lb (0.76 kg) service side-arm. The revolver it chose
was almost a copy of the Webley Mark
BARREL 5 in (12.7 cm)
VI. The version shown was issued to
CALIBER .38 in tank crews, and lacks a hammer spur.
Cylinder holds
six .45 ACP-caliber rounds
Pivot pin
for cylinder gate
Cylinder-
retaining key
Cylinder contains
six .455-caliber
rounds
Trigger guard
REVOLVERS
1945–
In the post-war years the advantages of automatic
handguns—ease of use, large ammunition capacity—
threatened the rationale for handguns. To counteract
Ventilated barrel rib
this trend, however, many revolver manufacturers
turned to the production of magnum revolvers. Cylinder holds five Hammer
rounds of shrouded, so it
A magnum handgun fires magnum ammunition doesn’t catch on
clothes
ammunition, that is, cartridges that generate
higher-velocities and greater penetration Cylinder
release catch
than conventionally cased cartridges of
the same caliber. The first magnum
revolver round was the .357 Magnum,
Grip
developed in 1934 as an extension of the safety
Cylinder rotates
clockwise
Cylinder
axis rod
.357 MAGNUM
Developed in 1935, this cartridge
has since been produced in many
varieties. Average muzzle
velocity is around 1,300 fps.
COLT PYTHON
DATE 1953 onward Colt lost no time in producing its own Magnum
ORIGIN US pistols, based on the tried-and-tested New Service
WEIGHT 3 lb (1.4 kg) and Single-Action Army models, but it was the 1950s
before it produced an all-new purpose-designed
BARREL 8 in (20.3 cm)
Magnum revolver: the Python. The ventilated barrel
CALIBER .357 Magnum rib has become a feature of these heavy revolvers.
.357 MAGNUM
The .357 cartridge was created
by Elmer Keith, Phillip Sharpe,
and Smith & Wesson.
Ergonomically
designed
molded-rubber
grips
Five-chambered
cylinder revolves Cylinder holds
clockwise five rounds of
ammunition
Cylinder
axis rod
Cylinder
release
CHARTER ARMS UNDERCOVER catch
DATE 1964 Charter Arms began trading in 1964,
ORIGIN US and the Undercover was its first
WEIGHT 1 lb (.45 kg) product. It was intended to be easily
concealed, and being chambered
BARREL 2 in (5 cm)
for .38 Special ammunition it had
CALIBER .38 Special plenty of stopping power.
JAMES BOND
The legendary character of James Bond, both in literature and film, has a special
Hammer
relationship with his guns. His choice of firearm signals his operational mentality
and situation, from the Colt Police Positive slipped beneath his pillow in Ian
Fleming’s Casino Royale (1953) through to the Accuracy International AW
sniper rifle used by Pierce Brosnan in the 2002 movie Die Another Day.
Slide grips
Bond is, nevertheless, most closely associated with the Walther PPK, a gun
introduced by Fleming in Dr No (1958) after Bond’s previous handgun, the Beretta
418, fell out of favor with the author. The PPK would persist in Bond literature
until the late 1990s when the Walther P99 finally took over. In film, the P99
stepped forward in Tomorrow Never Dies (1997). That said, Bond has used an
enormous variety of weapons in his appearances—the pistol is often just a trusty
fallback. In the movies alone, firearms have included a compressed air speargun,
S&W Model 29, Sterling L2A3, CZ58 rifle, Walther WA2000 sniper rifle, several
different Kalashnikovs, and the Ingram MAC 10 submachine gun.
WALTHER PPK
DATE 1931 The Walther PPK was popularized through its cinematic
ORIGIN Germany use by James Bond, and it did indeed find its way into
WEIGHT 1¼ lb (0.6 kg) many security service hands, mainly on account of its
compact dimensions. It was a simple blowback weapon
BARREL 3¼ in (8.3 cm)
most commonly produced in 7.65 mm (.32 ACP)
CALIBER 7.65 mm caliber, and was fed from a seven-round magazine.
Trigger guard
HANDGUNS
Although the crudity of the earliest hand-gonnes
prohibited decoration, the advent of wheellock and
flintlock mechanisms provided more opportunities
for artistic flair. Engraving was, and remains, the
Gold-plated
primary form of decoration, with different styles cylinder
WALTHER PP
Textured grip—
DATE Not known This Walther PP is gold plated to produce an only feature not
ORIGIN Germany excellent collector’s piece. The PP type was gold-plated
WEIGHT 3 lb (1.4 kg) one of the first double-action automatic
handguns. It became popular with police
BARREL 4 in (10 cm)
and military officers, and was issued in two
CALIBER 9 mm Short calibers: 7.65 mm Browning or 9 mm Short.
Diamond-encrusted slide
Gold-plated
trigger
Diamond-edged
pistol grip
SIG P220
DATE Not known The SiG P220 is one of the post-war period’s
ORIGIN Switzerland finest automatic handguns. It is a 9 mm
WEIGHT 3 lb (1.4 kg) Parabellum short-recoil gun, and was
developed as a replacement for the superb,
BARREL 4½ in (11.5 cm)
but expensive, SiG P210. This decorated
CALIBER 9 mm version is encrusted with diamonds.
RIFLES &
MUSKETS
F
OR AN INFANTRYMAN the rifle is his principal means some exceptions. Hence, they were applied most effectively
of directly influencing the battlefield. Artillery, in massed ranks, firing simultaneously at close range to
armor, air power, and other forces may be the provide a battlefield volley of “shock and awe.”
elements that are most decisive in terms of tactical and
strategic outcomes of a battle, but at some point the
soldier must close with the enemy to take ground, and that Rifled weapons were known to be far more accurate, and
is where his rifle is most relevant. were in common sport and some military use by the 16th
Considered more widely, manportable long guns also century. For reasons of expense and slower loading (the
changed the very nature of warfare and society. The ball had to make a tighter fit in the barrel to engage the
appearance of the arquebus on the battlefields of Europe grooves of the rifling), they did not catch on in common
in the 14th and 15th centuries profoundly destabilized the use until the 19th century. However, during the 18th
notion of aristocratic supremacy of arms. A noble knight century rifled weapons first made their mark on warfare,
could possess great skill with horse and sword, yet he principally on the battlefields of the New World.
could be unseated and killed by a simple peasant armed During the American Revolution (1775–83) colonial
with little more than a hollow tube and a crude aim. marksmen took on the British Army with rifled hunting
guns, targeting specific personnel, often at ranges in excess
of 656 ft (200 m), rather than firing en masse in a general
Muskets and rifles were developed primarily to give the direction. By 1800 the British had learned their lesson,
infantryman, or the sportsman in the field, a long-range introducing the Baker Rifle into special formations of
lethality. Hand in hand with the need for range has been sharpshooters, before the percussion cap Brunswick rifle
the equal requirement for accuracy over that range. The took over from the Baker and the Brown Bess in 1837.
smoothbore muskets that dominated military and civilian The shift to breechloading systems firing unitary
use from the 14th to the 18th centuries were generally cartridges also had a marked effect on rifle range and
inaccurate weapons at anything over 328 ft (100 m), with accuracy, bringing in stable systems of loading uniform,
Muzzle Barrel
HAND-GONNE
DATE c.1500 Although basic, this hand-gonne is very
ORIGIN Europe well made, with a strong hexagonal iron
WEIGHT Not known barrel, a contoured iron hook and a well-
fitted stave. The muzzle is also flared; Hook
BARREL Not known
this feature would protect the end of
CALIBER Not known the barrel from potential damage.
IRON HANDGUN
DATE c.1500 This early hand-gonne does not have a
ORIGIN Low Countries wooden stock, but instead features a long
WEIGHT Not known metal extension running out from the rear of
the barrel. The weight and awkward shape of
BARREL Not known
the weapon must have made it difficult to
CALIBER Not known handle in the absence of a front support.
Wooden stock
FULL VIEW
Rear sight
Stock
FULL VIEW
114 RIFLES & MUSKETS
HOOK GUN
DATE c.1500 This simplest of firearms consists of little
ORIGIN Germany more than an iron barrel fitted to a wooden
WEIGHT 10½ lb (4.7 kg) stave, the stave being held under the armpit
to stabilize the gun during firing. The front
BARREL Not known
hook beneath the barrel could be engaged
CALIBER 20-bore with a stable object to improve accuracy.
HOOK GUN
DATE c.1560 This match-fired weapon, dating from the 16th
ORIGIN Germany century, is fully stocked, giving it the appearance
WEIGHT 50 lb (22.5 kg) of a more modern firearm. Note also the increased
expectations of accuracy indicated by the front and
BARREL Not known
rear sights, although the proportions of the gun (it
CALIBER 5-bore weighed 50 lb) must have affected accurate handling.
MUSKETS
into the stock
time it took to lower the match holder onto the pan; the
snapping matchlock reduced this time significantly.
However, despite such improvements, matchlocks
were no sniper’s weapon, and were best applied
militarily as massed volley weapons.
Lock plate
Small of
stock fits
in hand
FULL VIEW
Barrel is octagonal
for first third of
length, then round
Lock plate
Feather spring
Pan causes the pan
Trigger cover to snap
forward as the
cock falls
Trigger guard
Barrel octagonal
in section
FULL VIEW
MATCHLOCK MUSKET
DATE mid-17th century While the matchlock was a significant improvement over the
ORIGIN UK hand-cannon, it was still a very clumsy weapon. Even in
WEIGHT 13¼ lb (6.05 kg) dry weather the match could be extinguished all too easily,
and its glowing end was a giveaway at night. However, the
BARREL 49½ in (126 cm)
best models were suprisingly accurate and were capable of
CALIBER.75 in killing a man at a hundred yards or more.
Trigger
Wheel cover
FULL VIEW
THE MUSKET WAS
THE STAPLE WEAPON
OF THE THIRTY YEARS
WAR (1618–1648 (.
COMBINATION WHEELLOCK/MATCHLOCK MUSKET
DATE 1650 (mechanism) In this gun, wheellock and
ORIGIN Germany matchlock systems are set
WEIGHT 11¼ lb (5 kg) aside one another on the same
lockplate. While the mechanism
BARREL 44 in (118 cm)
is German (1650), the stock is
CALIBER .70 from 19th-century Britain.
MUSKET BATTLE
The attack on the French city wall of Boulogne-sur-
Mer by English musket-bearing troops in 1550.
Muskets were widely used in a number of conflicts
from the early 16th century onward, including
the Thirty Years War (1618–1648).
ASIAN
MATCHLOCKS Serpentine
match holder
Rear sight
Mainspring
JAPANESE TEPPO
DATE c.1700 This early 18th-century matchlock teppo is the work of
ORIGIN Japan the Enami family of Sakai, who are widely held to be
WEIGHT 6 lb (2.77 kg) among the finest Japanese gunmakers of the pre-
industrial period. The stock is of red oak, decorated all
BARREL 39½ in (100 cm)
over with kara kusa (vine motifs) scrolls in gold lacquer,
Trigger CALIBER 11.4 mm with additional inlays of brass and silver.
PAPER CARTRIDGE
Today, thick writing paper is still
known as “cartridge paper” owing
to this type of charge.
Decorative inlay
Octagonal barrel surrounds barrel pin
JAPANESE MATCHLOCK
DATE Early 18th century A rather less ornate weapon than that shown below, LEAD BULLET
ORIGIN Western Japan this matchlock is by Kunitomo Tobei Shigeyasu of It was not until around 1600 that
Omo, on Japan’s west coast. Its red-oak stock is in the lead, with its low melting point and
WEIGHT 9¼ lb (4.14 kg)
style of the Sakai school. Decoration is limited to high specific gravity, became the
BARREL 40½ in (103 cm) universal material for bullets.
engraving on the octagonal barrel and some brass
CALIBER 13.3 mm inlay; the lock and mainspring are also of brass.
FULL VIEW
Barrel
band
Iron side plates
cover lock
Serpentine
match holder Koftgari (gold
inlay) decoration
Sling
Trigger
guard
FULL VIEW
Fore sight
Stock decorated
with chip-
carving
Trigger
RIFLES
Wheellocks were extremely expensive weapons
to produce, so they were bought mainly by
Wheel
the wealthy as hunting pieces. They were cover
also delicate instruments that could be
severely compromised by dirt and hard
handling, hence they remained civilian
Cover for serrated
rather than military weapons. As hunting striking wheel
guns they had their limitations. The shower of
sparks created by the spinning metal wheel could
Lock plate
give just enough warning for a bird or rabbit to jink off
target before the main charge detonation took place.
Squared shaft
Trigger for winding
mechanism
Bone inlay
Cheekpiece
Trigger guard
Cocking ring
Spring holds
cock firmly FULL VIEW
against striking
wheel
GERMAN WHEELLOCK
DATE c.1640 The wheellock was invented in Italy, but
ORIGIN Germany within half a century, fine specimens were
WEIGHT 8¼ lb (3.8 kg) being produced in Germany. This example
has its serrated wheel mounted externally, to
BARREL 34 in (86.4 cm)
make it easier to clean, though the rest of the
CALIBER.65 in lock-work is protected within the stock.
Cock holds
flint between
metal jaws
Ramrod pipe
CARTRIDGE PACK
Combining powder, ball, and paper in one
unit negated the need for different pouches.
Blade fore
sight
PRUSSIAN RIFLED FLINTLOCK CARBINE
DATE 1722 King Frederick William I of Prussia, who came to the throne in
ORIGIN Germany 1713, raised a standing army that amounted to four percent of
WEIGHT 7½ lb (3.37 kg) the country’s adult male population. He established a state arsenal
at Potsdam and among its early products were carbines like this,
BARREL 37 in (94 cm)
which were manufactured from 1722 to 1774. Ten men in each
CALIBER 15-bore squadron of cuirassiers were issued with rifled weapons.
FULL VIEW
Rear sight
Cock
Striking steel
Guard extension
Feather
spring
Ramrod
TIMOTHY MURPHY
Timothy Murphy (1751–1818) was one of modern history’s In October 1777 at the Second Battle of Saratoga, Murphy
true early snipers. His talents as a marksman were employed climbed a tree, then shot and killed the British brigadier-
during the American Revolutionary War (1775–83), when general Simon Fraser at 300 yards (274 m), repeating the
he first enlisted as a rifleman. However, given his ability to hit feat against Sir Frances Clarke, General Burgoyne’s chief
a seven-inch target from 250 yards, he soon enlisted in the elite aide-de-camp. The two killings had powerful, converse
Continental Rifle Corps under General Daniel Morgan. effects on British and American morale, and gave Murphy
the nickname “Sure Shot Tim.” Murphy proved his
marksmanship on many subsequent occasions over 200 yards
“Morgan’s Rifles” were deployed in 1777 to New York State (183 m), and survived the war and a period in Indian captivity.
against the British forces under General John Burgoyne, and
Murphy and his comrades sniped the British ranks endlessly.
Cock
FULL VIEW
Feather spring
Trigger guard
“THE FOEMAN WHO CAME
WITHIN (MURPHY’S(
RANGE WAS SURE TO
BITE THE DUST.
JH MATHER, 1851
”
FLINTLOCK RIFLE
DATE 1760 This flintlock rifle was a forerunner
ORIGIN US to the famous Kentucky rifle. Based
WEIGHT 8¼ lb (3.8 kg) on designs introduced to America
by immigrant German gunsmiths, it
BARREL 45 in (114 cm)
had accuracy up to 400 yards/365
CALIBER .45 meters in well-trained hands.
The 18th and 19th centuries saw the perfection of the flintlock musket and rifle Cock
design. From 1722 to 1838, for example, the redoubtable “Brown Bess”—the
Land Pattern Musket—was the British Army’s firearm of choice for its Flint
infantry. The Charleville musket gave similar service to the French. By the
1800s, however, more forces were beginning to recognize the ballistic Jaw
screw
advantages of rifled guns. For example, the Baker rifle’s barrel
length was only 30 in (76 cm), but it featured seven Standard
Land-Pattern Pan
rectangular grooves making a quarter turn along the lock
length of the bore. Accurate shots could be Armory
mark
taken at around 150 yards (137 m).
Brass cheek
plate
Feather
Trigger
spring
Brass Leather
trigger guard sling
Feather spring
INDIA-PATTERN MUSKET
Flashpan and
Official touch-hole DATE 1797 onward The Pattern Musket (or Brown Bess) in its final
mark ORIGIN UK form differed from earlier models in the length
Small of of the barrel. It was reduced to 39 in (99 cm).
the stock WEIGHT 9 lb (4.1 kg)
This modification was made for the East India
BARREL 39 in (99 cm)
Company and later adopted by the British
CALIBER .75 in Army which kept it in service until the 1840s.
300-yard sight
Tubular housing
200-yard sight for ramrod
Barrel-retaining
key
FULL VIEW
BAKER RIFLE
DATE 1802–37 Ezekiel Baker’s rifle was a robust weapon, designed to keep on
ORIGIN England working even under the most difficult conditions, and several
WEIGHT 9 lb (4 kg) modifications to the original design reflected that. With its short
barrel (30 inches instead of the more customary 39) it was not
BARREL 30 in (76 cm)
particularly accurate, but was still a great improvement over
CALIBER .625 in the smoothbore musket then in general use.
FLINTLOCK MUSKETS & RIFLES 135
Striking steel
Flint clamping
DOUBLE-BARRELED FLINTLOCK WITH BAYONET screw
DATE c.1800 The blunderbuss-type muzzle of this double- Cock
ORIGIN UK barreled weapon features an attached folding
WEIGHT Not known spike bayonet. Guns such as these were often
used by naval crews, who appreciated the
BARREL Not known
short-range firepower backed by a stabbing
CALIBER Not known weapon for hand-to-hand action.
Double trigger
Breech-block is hinged
at the forward end
and tips up through
30° for loading
Breech block
release catch
Lock cover
Grip
extension FULL VIEW
Folding spike bayonet
Flared muzzle
“I HAVE SUCCEEDED
IN ESTABLISHING METHODS
FOR FABRICATING ARMS
MUSKET BALL EXACTLY ALIKE, AND WITH
The size of the ball was expressed
in “bore,” being the number of balls ECONOMY, BY THE HANDS
of a given size that could be cast
from 1 lb (0.45 kg) of lead. OF COMMON WORKMEN.
Barrel band
JOHN HANCOCK HALL, LETTER TO SECRETARY
OF WAR JOHN CALHOUN, 1822 ”
Forward sling
swivel
HALL RIFLE
DATE 1819 John Hancock Hall’s rifle, designed in 1811 and introduced
ORIGIN US into service in 1819, was the first regulation American rifle to
WEIGHT 10½ lb (4.68 kg) incorporate an opening breech; hinged at the front, it tipped
up at a 30-degree angle for loading. Hall rifles and carbines
BARREL 32½ in (82.5 cm)
were eventually produced in percussion form, too, when the
CALIBER .54 in entire breech unit could be removed and used as a pistol.
Steel
Flint clamp
Barrel band Barrel
securing spring band
Cock
Rear sling
swivel
Trigger
CHARLEVILLE MUSKET
DATE 1776 The Charleville muskets were introduced in
ORIGIN France 1754. Large numbers of Modèle 1776 guns
WEIGHT 9¼ lb (4.2 kg) found their way to the US when a revised
pattern was introduced the following year;
BARREL 44 in (113.5 cm)
they were the main armament of the
CALIBER .65 in Continental Army that defeated the British.
Butt plate
Trigger
Ramrod
Priming pan Feather spring
Barrel band
BROWN BESS
The British Land Pattern Musket—more commonly known called because it was developed for use by the East India
among the ranks as the Brown Bess—dominated the ranks of Company. In this version the barrel dropped to just below
the British Army for more than 100 years. The first version was 39 in (99 cm), and the British Army adopted it for general
the Long Land Pattern of 1722, a flintlock .75 in musket which use in 1797. The Brown Bess had weaknesses, notably in
was 62 in (157 cm) long with a 46 in (117 cm) barrel. the trigger group, but millions were made (over 3 million
of the India Pattern alone) and it aided
Britain’s colonial expansion
Although the length of the gun gave some advantage in a during the 19th century.
Cock
fixed bayonets clash, the barrel was subsequently shortened to
improve handling and to lighten the load of the British soldier Lock plate
stamped with
(part of the 1768 Clothing Warrant), resulting in the Short maker’s name
Land Pattern of 1768 with 42 in (106 cm) barrels. A further
shortening came in the mid 1790s with the India Pattern, so
Sling swivel
FULL VIEW
“...TAKE THE BROWN BESS
ON YOUR SHOULDER
AND MARCH.
CONNECTICUT COURANT, APRIL 1771
”
BROWN BESS MUSKET
DATE 1742 This modified version of the
ORIGIN UK Land-Pattern Musket by Tippin
WEIGHT 10¼ lb (4.7 kg) was a “sealed pattern,” meaning
that it was retained in the Tower
BARREL 46 in (117 cm)
of London Armory as a model
CALIBER 10-bore for other gunmakers to follow.
Fore stock
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
Brown Bess-wielding British troops at the Battle
of Bunker Hill in 1775 during the American
Revolutionary War. The origins of the name Brown
Bess are unknown, but it probably derives from
the German words “braun buss” meaning “strong
gun.” This argument is further supported by the
fact that King George I, who commissioned the
gun’s use, was from Germany.
OTTOMAN
FIREARMS
Cast and
chiseled
decoration
on stock
The Ottoman military forces were among the first in the world to introduce
muskets into warfare, with evidence suggesting formal gun use in combat during
the 1440s. By the 18th and 19th centuries, however, their advantage in warfare
was lost. When faced with the new European or Russian armies, which were
Striking steel
based on mass conscription, the Turkish infantry demonstrated little ability integral with
Cock pan cover
to respond with tactical lines or columns. These were
essential structures for troops wishing to concentrate their
firepower or maneuver their muskets. Furthermore,
the Ottomans rejected the use of the bayonet—an
“infidel weapon”—despite seeing how devastating
these could be in trained hands.
Exposed
mainspring
Trigger
Cock Pan
Striking
steel Inlaid
decoration
Prawl prevents
hand from slipping
Shoulder stock is
pentagonal in section
Shoulder
stock is
inlaid with Trigger
brass and
precious Inlaid
stones decoration
Saddle bar
FLINTLOCK CARBINE
DATE Late 18th century Ornate, even by Ottoman Empire standards,
Trigger ORIGIN Turkey this silver-gilt blunderbuss carbine was
guard WEIGHT Not known most likely made as a presentation piece.
Upon its lock plate is the inscription
BARREL Not known
“London warranted,” which suggests
CALIBER Not known that it is a copy of an English lock.
Entire stock is
covered in engraved
and decorated ivory
SNAPHAUNCE TÜFENK
DATE Late 18th century This smoothbore musket, or tüfenk, is very similar both in
ORIGIN Turkey overall form and the manner of its decoration to muskets
WEIGHT Not known produced in northern India. The pentagonal-section butt stock
terminates at the breech in a pronounced prawl. The barrel
BARREL 28½ in (72.4 cm)
is octagonal in section, and the lock is a snaphaunce, which
CALIBER Not known had become obsolete in the West by the early 17th century.
Pentagonal-section
butt
Velvet sling
Gilded butt
Pricker
Overlayed
Trigger lock plate
FULL VIEW
Ramrod
BUNDUKH TORADOR
DATE c.1800 Probably made in Gwalior at the beginning of the 19th century,
ORIGIN Gwalior, India this extremely ornate matchlock was almost certainly a
WEIGHT 6½ lb (3 kg) presentation piece. Like all matchlocks, it was supplied with a
touch-hole pricker, though since this, too, is gilded, it can hardly
BARREL 45¼ in (115 cm)
be considered to be entirely functional. Guns of this type were
CALIBER .55 in normally held beneath the arm, not against the shoulder.
Tokugawa mon, or
identifying cartouche
Fore sight
Intermediate
Square fore stock is sight
rounded here to
accommodate the
hand
Silver
inlay
Trigger
Butt plate is
silver and
bone
TIBETAN MEDA
DATE c.1780 While Tibet, like Japan, was largely isolated from the rest of
ORIGIN Tibet the world until the mid-19th century, it was for geographic
WEIGHT 9¼ lb (4.15 kg) rather than political reasons. Trade did occur, however,
with India and China, and this matchlock, or meda, shows
BARREL 44 in (111 cm)
considerable Chinese influence in both form and decoration.
CALIBER 17 mm Attached to the fore stock is a rest, an unusual feature.
Serpentine slow-
match holder
Touch-
hole
Indian-style
recurved butt
Rest terminates in
forked antelope horn Ramrod is a modern
replacement
AT THE BATTLE OF
NAGASHINO, UP TO 3,000
MATCHLOCK-ARMED GUNNERS
DESTROYED THE CAVALRY CHARGES
OF TAKEDA KATSUYORI
WITH CONTROLLED VOLLEY FIRE .
FULL VIEW
Attachment
Trigger for sling
FULL VIEW
THE ENFIELD WAS THE SECOND
MOST WIDELY USED
WEAPON IN THE
AMERICAN CIVIL WAR.
CAP RIFLES
During the US Civil War (1861–65), smoothbore and rifled
muskets fought side by side, the latter given superior Rear sling swivel
performance through the development of new ammunition
types. Back in 1823, the British Army officer Captain John
Norton had designed a conical-shaped ammunition. The
American
problem Norton faced was that when loading bullets into rifled eagle motif
Hammer
weapons, the bullet had to be a tight fit for it to engage with the Primer tape is fed over
the pierced anvil and
rifling, and this made it difficult to muzzle load. Norton made indexed by cocking
the hammer
his bullet a comfortable fit, but hollowed out the base to allow
Lock cover
the bullet to expand on firing under the gas pressure to grip plate
Small of stock
Primer tape
compartment
cover
Armory
Trigger mark
Sling swivel
FULL VIEW
Rear sight
Barrel band secures
barrel in stock
Retaining spring
for barrel band
Low comb to
butt stock
PERCUSSION
CAPS AND TIN
Fulminate,
which explodes Nipple for
when struck, percussion
is sandwiched Armory cap
Rear sling swivel
between two mark
layers of thin
copper foil, Rear sight
shaped to fit
over a pierced Hammer
nipple.
Nipple for
percussion cap
Nipple for
percussion cap
Hammer
Stock
Forward sling
swivel
Bayonet
mounting
tube
Trigger
Lock cover
FULL VIEW
Cleaning rod
Rear sight
Barrel band
SHARPS CARBINE
Percussion-cap breechloaders—also commonly known as either a percussion cap or tape primer. The problem with the
capping breechloaders—were a brief family of weapons that Sharps—and the challenge for all capping breechloaders—was
appeared in the mid 19th century. They were an early attempt the leakage of gas from the breech (the paper or linen cartridge
to unite a breechloading system with percussion-cap ignition, did not form a gas-tight seal). The Green’s Carbine, which had a
and their development was particularly concentrated in the side-swinging breech, more successfully handled this problem,
United States and Britain during this time. but ammunition problems limited its use.
In the US, the principal types were the Sharps and Green
Hammer
carbines. The Sharps used a vertical sliding breech block to
load a combustible cartridge, which was in turn ignited by
Tape primer
compartment
FULL VIEW
Breech-opening
lever
“SHARPS’ RIFLE
WAS TO STAND THE TESTS OF A
FIRST-CLASS WEAPON.
EDWARD FREEDLEY, AUTHOR, 1858
”
SHARPS CARBINE
DATE 1852 Christian Sharps devised his breech-loading
ORIGIN US system in 1848. During the American Civil
WEIGHT 7¾ lb (3.5 kg) War, the Union Army bought over 80,000
Sharps’ carbines for its cavalry regiments.
BARREL 18 in (45 cm)
This rare slant-breech version from 1852
CALIBER .52 in uses a Maynard tape primer.
Rear sight
SHARPS SHOOTER
Confederate soldiers fire
on Union forces at the
Battle of Kenneshaw
SHARPS CARTRIDGE Mountain on June 27,
This case is made of 1864. Christian
linen. Its base was cut off Sharps’ carbine saw
by the breech-block when heavy use during
the action was closed. the US Civil War.
THE CHASSEPOT CAME WITH
AN ABSURDLY LONG
SABER BAYONET THAT MEASURED
OVER 28 IN (72) CM IN LENGTH. Hammer
Rear sight
Rear sling
attachment
FULL VIEW
Patchbox
Cleaning rod
Staged barrel
Breech-block
Forward trigger
advances primer
tape
GREENE CARBINE
DATE 1855 The Greene carbine, produced in small numbers for
ORIGIN US the British Army during the Crimean War, lost out to
Trigger WEIGHT 7½ lb (3.4 kg) its rivals due to its cumbersome mechanism. The
barrel had to be rotated through a quarter-turn: this
BARREL 22 in (56 cm)
unlocked the breech, which was then free to swing out
CALIBER .54 in so that a new cartridge could be introduced.
BREECHLOADERS
The rush to develop breechloaders in the 1860s and 70s resulted in
a number of different operating systems, all attempting to make the
Rear sling
most effective use of unitary cartridges. New Yorker Jacob Snider swivel
modified the Enfield 1853 Pattern rifle musket by inserting a hinged
breechblock through which a cartridge could be inserted. Erskine
Allin of Springfield adopted a similar “trapdoor” principle for the
Springfield Model 1860 and 1863 rifles. Remington took a different
approach, the “rolling block,” whereby the action of cocking the
hammer allowed the breech to be opened to take a cartridge. The
British Army eventually settled on a lever-action “falling-block”
Hammer Rear sight
system, embodied in the Martini-Henry rifle. However, it would
“Trapdoor”
be the bolt-action, being perfected by the likes of Mauser, that breech cover
incorporates Breech cover
would dominate the future of breechloading weapons. firing pin hinge
FULL VIEW
Fore sight
SPRINGFIELD TRAPDOOR
DATE 1874 The perfection of the unitary cartridge left the world’s
ORIGIN US armies with a dilemma: what to do with their millions
WEIGHT 10 lb (4.5 kg) of redundant muzzle-loaders. The US Army modified
their rifled muskets by milling out the top of the barrel,
BARREL 32½ in (83 cm)
creating a chamber for the cartridge, and installing a
CALIBER .45 in front-hinged breech cover incorporating a firing pin.
Hammer
Trigger guard
FULL VIEW
Breech
Lever/tumbler
axis pin
Under lever
MARTINI-HENRY RIFLE
DATE 1871 The Martini-Henry entered service in 1871 as a purpose-built breech-
ORIGIN UK loading replacement for the Snider conversion. It utilized a “falling block”
WEIGHT 10¼ in (4.7 kg) system, in which operating a lever behind the trigger guard opened the
breech for cartridge loading, as well as performing partial ejection and
BARREL 33½ in (85 cm)
striker cocking functions. The Martini-Henry was an extremely robust rifle,
CALIBER .45 in and served the British Army well until the adoption of bolt-action weapons.
166 RIFLES & MUSKETS
REMINGTON ROLLING BLOCK
DATE c.1890 Remington’s purpose-designed breechloader
ORIGIN Egypt was declared the best rifle in the world at the
WEIGHT 9 lb (4 kg) 1868 Imperial Exposition in Paris. However,
the rifle’s rolling-block action, first introduced
BARREL 35¼ in (90 cm)
in 1863, was not as smooth in use as the
CALIBER .45 in falling breech-block of the Martini-Henry.
.45 MARTINI-HENRY
The Martini-Henry rifle’s cartridge was
loaded with 85 grains of black powder.
The bullet weighted 480 grains.
Cleaning rod
BAYONET
A socket bayonet, with its triangular-
section blade, protuded almost 18 in
(46 cm) beyond the muzzle.
Shoulder stock
FULL VIEW
Rear sight
Barrel band
retaining
springs
Trigger guard
Locking catch and cocking
for cocking lever
lever
Rear sight
Magazine holds
15 rounds
Fore sight
Barrel band
Side-mounted
hammer
COLT REVOLVING RIFLE
DATE 1855 The third model of Colt’s revolving rifles made a considerable
ORIGIN US impact, even though the loading procedure was cumbersome. The
WEIGHT 7½ lb (3.45 kg) cylinder was removed, powder packed into the five chambers, a
bullet packed on top, and the chambers sealed with wax. The
BARREL 27 in (68.2 cm)
cylinder was then covered with grease in order to protect against
CALIBER .56 in the possibility of loose powder igniting all the chambers at once.
SPENCER CARTRIDGE
This is the rimfire black-powder round
for which the Civil War-era Spencer
carbine was chambered.
Small of
the stock
Comb
Barrel band Fore sight
Bayonet lug
Forward sling swivel Forestock cap
16-bore
smooth barrel
Ejector rod
FULL VIEW
Trigger
WINCHESTER
The Winchester Repeating Arms Company is a landmark by the Olin Corporation, which in 1981 sold off the firearms-
name in US gunmaking. Oliver Winchester founded the making business (but not the rights to the Winchester brand),
company in 1866. In that year it brought out its first lever- this becoming the US Repeating Arms Company. However, in
action rifle, and so began a family of guns that, like the Colt January 2006 the famous New Haven plant in Connecticut was
Peacemaker, virtually defined the Wild West era. The early 20th closed, threatening the future of many of the company’s great
century saw Winchester bring out new self-loading rifle and civilian lines, such as the Model 94 and Model 1300 shotgun.
shotgun designs, and during and between the two world wars At the time of writing, however, Browning has stepped forward
Winchester was central to the production or development of to take over the manufacture and sale of Winchester firearms
the BAR, the Browning .50 BMG cartridge, the M1 rifle and (both are part of the Herstal Group).
carbine, and the M14. In 1931, Winchester was also bought
Stock
Five-round
“I PRONOUNCE YOUR
magazine
Under-lever
IMPROVED WINCHESTER
WINCHESTER 1895
DATE
ORIGIN
1895
US
The Model 1895 broke with Winchester’s past
by having a box magazine instead of the
classic tubular magazine of preceding models.
‘THE BOSS.’
YOU HAVE THE MOST
WEIGHT 7½ lb (3.4 kg)
Military sales of the 1895 were strong,
BARREL 30 in (76 cm) COMPLETE RIFLE EVER MADE.
”
particularly to Russia, which bought over
CALIBER .30 in 290,000 between 1915 and 1917.
“BUFFALO” BILL CODY, 1875
Ejection port
Barrel band
Loading port
Loading port
WINCHESTER 175
MANUAL REPEATER Bolt
RIFLES 1880–1890
During the 1870s bolt-action rifles began to ally
themselves with magazine feeds. In 1871 Paul
Mauser took his bolt-action rifle and connected it
to an eight-round underbarrel magazine, a new
round being fed with every operation of the bolt.
However, tubular magazines had major
deficiencies. Their springs were prone to
Rear sling swivel
weakening, the gun’s center of balance changed as Bolt handle
the magazine emptied, and there was always the danger of
magazine explosions. Scottish-born American James Lee found
the solution in the late 1870s. He relocated the cartridges in a
spring-loaded box magazine that sat directly beneath the bolt.
Straight-
through
stock
Integral six-round
box magazine
Cleaning rod
Front sling
swivel VETTERLI-VITALI 1880
DATE 1880 The Vetterli-Vitali 1880 was an experimental
ORIGIN Italy rifle fitted with a tubular magazine, and was
WEIGHT 9¾ kg (4.4 kg) an adaptation of earlier single-shot Italian
rifles. Vetterli-Vitali eventually became better
BARREL 34 in (86 cm)
known for its box magazine system, which
CALIBER 10 mm was introduced from 1886.
Rear sight
Bayonet lug
“THE ADVANTAGES OF
REPEATING ARMS
IN SUCH ENCOUNTERS IS
INCALCULABLE.
PRODUCT CATALOG, 1851
”
MANUAL REPEATER RIFLES 1880–1890 177
“AT EVERY HALT WE TOOK ADVANTAGE
OF THE COVER... THE TREES, OF COURSE,
FURNISHED NO PROTECTION
FROM THE MAUSER BULLETS.
”
Bolt is Bolt handle
THEODORE ROOSEVELT, ON THE locked at
SPANISH/AMERICAN WAR, 1899 the rear
Straight-through stock
Bolt is
locked at
the rear Rear sight
Bolt handle
Straight-through stock
Integral five-round
box magazine
Barrel band
securing spring
MAUSER MODEL 71/84
DATE 1884 Peter Paul Mauser made many attempts to turn the
ORIGIN Germany single-shot bolt-action M1871 rifle into a repeater.
WEIGHT 10 lb (4.6 kg) Although obsolete almost immediately, the result
was not superseded until 1888, even though its
BARREL 32¾ in (83 cm)
weaknesses in the design of its magazine, and
CALIBER 11 mm its tendency to pull to the right, were well known.
Barrel band
securing
spring
Fore sight
Forestock cap
INFANTERIEGEWEHR M1888
DATE 1888 When it came to replacing the M71/84 the
ORIGIN Germany German Army set up a specification commission
WEIGHT 8½ lb (3.82 kg) but the characteristics of new 7.92 mm
ammunition had been misunderstood, leading to
BARREL 29 in (74 cm)
many burst barrels. In addition, the box magazine
CALIBER 7.92 mm x 57 was a poor design; it was never rectified.
Cocking piece
Detachable 12-round
box magazine
Bolt
Rear sling attachment
Bolt handle
Forward-hinged
magazine cover
KRAG-JØRGENSEN M1888
DATE 1888 Many held that the M1888 was obsolete before it was adopted
ORIGIN Norway by the Danish Army, because its five-round magazine had to
WEIGHT 9 lb (4.05 kg) be hand-loaded, one round at a time, and its bolt’s single
locking-lug limited it to low-velocity ammunition. It came as
BARREL 30¼ in (76.2 cm)
a surprise, even to its inventors, that it was also adopted by
CALIBER 6.5 mm x 55 both the US and Norwegian Armies.
SCHMIDT-RUBIN M1889
DATE 1889 In 1889 Colonel Rudolf Schmidt of the Swiss Army developed a
ORIGIN Switzerland straight-pull bolt-action rifle with a 12-round box magazine. It was
WEIGHT 9.8 lb (4.45 kg) accepted as the regulation rifle, and remained in service, only
slightly modified, until 1931, when its bolt action was rejigged to
BARREL 30.75 in (78 cm)
operate in half the length. The modified version was only discarded
CALIBER 7.5 mm in the late 1950s, and a sniper’s version was in use until 1987.
Rear sight
Trigger Eight-round
detachable box
magazine
Magazine
connector
Magazine
release catch
Finger groove
FULL VIEW
LEE-METFORD
DATE 1890 The Lee-Metford began a prestigious lineage of British bolt-action rifles.
ORIGIN UK The name derives from the inventor of its action, James Lee, and the
WEIGHT 9¾ lb (4.37 kg) designer of the rifled barrel, William Metford. It featured an eight-
round box magazine and was chambered for the powerful .303 in
BARREL 30¼ in (76.9 cm)
cartridge. The rifle also had a set of “Extreme Range Sights” on the
CALIBER .303 in side of the gun, optimistically graduated out to 3500 yards (3199 m).
MANUAL REPEATER RIFLES 1880–1890 183
FAMOUS GUNSLINGERS
ANNIE OAKLEY
Annie Oakley (1860–1926) was a legend of the West, and like undoubtedly a phenomenal shot, whether with handguns or
many legends has attracted her fair share of historical myth and with a .22 Marlin rifle. She could hit a dime thrown into the
error. She was born Phoebe Ann Mosey in Ohio and by the air from 90 ft (27 m), and could hit an edge-on playing card
age of nine was an expert game shot; the death of her father from the same distance. She performed in front of international
necessitated that she shoot to help support the family. royalty, including Queen Victoria and the future Kaiser Wilhelm
II (she shot the ash off his cigarette). Oakley eventually left the
Buffalo Bill show, but kept performing into her 60s.
After winning a shooting competition in Cincinnati in 1881,
beating her future husband and manager Francis E. Butler,
Hammer
she adopted the Oakley stage name and in 1885 she and her
husband joined the Buffalo Bill Wild West Show. Oakley was
Loading port
FULL VIEW
Operating lever
SHE COULD SPLIT AN EDGE-ON
PLAYING CARD WITH A
.22 CALIBER RIFLE AT 90 FT (27 M ).
Integral five-
round box
Cocking magazine
piece
Cleaning rod
Rear sight
Barrel band
secures the barrel
in the stock
FULL VIEW
Rear sight
Leaf-type
rear sight
Bolt handle
protrudes
horizontally
Dismounting disc
Sling
Semi-pistol grip
MANNLICHER M1895
DATE 1895 The straight-pull bolt-action M1895 was the work
ORIGIN Austria of Ferdinand von Mannlicher, and used a rotating
WEIGHT 8½ lb (3.78 kg) locking lug turned in a camming (spiraled) groove.
Ammunition was fed from a fixed box magazine
BARREL 30 in (76.5 cm)
that Mannlicher also designed. It was used widely
CALIBER 8 mm x 50r throughout the Austro-Hungarian empire.
Bayonet lug
MAUSER INFANTERIEGEWEHR 98
DATE 1898 By the time of the Gew98, Mauser had
ORIGIN Germany solved virtually every problem known to
WEIGHT 9¼ lb (4.15 kg) beset the bolt-action magazine rifle. It added
a third rear-locking lug to reinforce the two
BARREL 29¼ in (74 cm)
forward-mounted lugs, as well as improving
CALIBER 7.92 mm x 57 gas sealing and refining the magazine.
Integral
five-round
magazine
Sling swivel
Rear sight
ARISAK A MEIJI 30
DATE 1897 At the conclusion of its war with China in 1895, the Japanese
ORIGIN Japan Army decided to adopt a modern weapon in a small caliber. This
WEIGHT 9½ lb (4.3 kg) gun, designed by Arisaka, chambered for a 6.5 mm semi-rimmed
round, with an enclosed five-round box magazine, was adopted. It
BARREL 31½ in (80 cm)
used a turning bolt of the Mauser pattern with forward-locking
CALIBER 6.5 mm x 50sr lugs. It came into service in the 30th year of the Emperor Meiji.
Finger groove
(one on each side)
ARISAK A TYPE 99
DATE 1939 Japanese war experience showed that the 6.5 mm round used in the 38th Year
ORIGIN Japan rifle was inadequately powered. The Type 99, introduced into service in 1939,
WEIGHT 8¾ lb (4 kg) used the more potent 7.7 mm round. It was available in two versions, a short
carbine (specifications left) and a standard version that was 6 in (15.2 cm)
BARREL 25¾ in (65.5 cm)
longer. An oddity of the Type 99 was a folding metal monopod support beneath
CALIBER 7.7 mm the fore-end, although this was not rigid enough for its purpose.
Bolt handle
Integral five-
round box
magaziane
Bolt handle
Cocking piece
Trigger
FULL VIEW
MAUSER M1896
DATE 1896 Waffenfabrik Mauser began exporting rifles, to China, in 1875;
ORIGIN Germany then came the Mauser-Koka, for Serbia, the Belgian M1889,
WEIGHT 8¾ lb (3.97 kg) the Turkish M1890, the Argentine M1891, and the Spanish
M1893. The world’s armies seemed to be beating a path
BARREL 29 in (74 cm)
to Mauser’s door. The design it adopted had a number of
CALIBER 6.5 mm x 55 modifications, some of which found their way into later types.
Rear sight
Barrel-band-
securing spring
Cocking piece
FULL VIEW
Magazine
release catch
Bolt handle
turned down
SUCH IS ITS RELIABILITY,
THE LEE-ENFIELD NO.4 IS STILL
APPEARING IN THE
HANDS OF AFGHAN
INSURGENTS TODAY.
Bolt handle
turned down
Experimental 25-round
removable box magazine
Rear sight
SPRINGFIELD M1903
DATE 1903 Impressed by the Mauser rifles US troops encountered
ORIGIN US during the war against Spain in 1898, the United States
WEIGHT 8½ lb (4 kg) Ordnance Department looked to replace its Krag rifles.
Negotiating a license to build a Mauser design of its own, the
BARREL 24 in (61 cm)
result was the .30 in Rifle, Magazine, M1903. The example
CALIBER .30-03 shown here has an experimental 25-round magazine.
Two-part sling
Bolt handle
Five-round
internal box
magazine
Integral five-round
box magazine
Trigger guard
MAUSER 1893
DATE 1900 The Mauser 1893 was the seminal Spanish
ORIGIN Spain Mauser rifle of the late 1800s. Such was its
WEIGHT 8¾ lb (3.95 kg) effectiveness during the Spanish-American War
that it pushed the US toward development of
BARREL 29 in (74 cm)
the Springfield rifle. The 1893 was fed from a
CALIBER 7 x 57 mm five-round integral box magazine.
FULL VIEW
Steel-bound butt
Bolt handle protrudes horizontally
Cocking piece
Integral five-round
magazine
Fore stock cap
Integral five-
round magazine
MAUSER K AR98K
DATE 1935 The “Karabiner” 98K embodied improvements to the Mauser
ORIGIN Germany Gewehr 98 rifle, and became the standard German service rifle of
WEIGHT 8½ lb (3.9 kg) World War II. More than 14 million were manufactured between
1935 and 1945. A number of variations were produced, including
BARREL 23½ in (60 cm)
those for mountain troops, paratroops, and snipers. During the
CALIBER 7.92 mm x 57 war, the original design was simplified to speed up production.
Fore sight in
protective shroud
Folding
cruciform
bayonet
FULL VIEW
RIFLES
Eyepiece
Safety catch
Sniping developed rapidly as a military art during the two
world wars, providing several important military roles
from inflicting attrition on enemy officers through to
holding up enemy advances. Unlike modern snipers, who
require purpose-designed sniper weapons, in the first half
of the 20th century most standard-issue bolt-action rifles Bolt handle
had the range and accuracy to handle sniper work if
properly sighted. A sniper’s typical range of engagement
tends to be between 300 and 700 yards (327 and 765 m).
The actual killing range of a Lee-Enfield or Mauser
Gewehr 98 far exceeded this, so fitted with optical
telescopic sights they made proficient sniper tools,
although there were many snipers who achieved
impressive kill lists using only the factory fitted iron sights.
Optical sight
Raised stock
comb
Elevation adjustment MAUSER GEWEHR 98
Objective DATE 1900 onward Specially selected examples of the Mauser
ORIGIN Germany Infanteriegewehr 98 continued to be used as
WEIGHT 9¼ lb (4.15 kg) snipers’ weapons throughout World War II.
The rifles were fitted initially with a 2.75x
Leaf sight BARREL 21¼ in (75 cm)
telescopic sight produced commercially as
CALIBER 7.92 mm the Visar by Emil Busch.
Elevation adjustment
ENFIELD L42A1
DATE 1970 The L42A1 was a British Army sniper rifle in
ORIGIN UK production between 1970 and 1985, but which
WEIGHT 12¼ lb (5.5 kg) served well into the 1990s. It was built around
the redoubtable Lee-Enfield action (chambered
BARREL 27½ in (70 cm)
for the 7.62 x 51 mm NATO cartridge),
CALIBER 7.62 x 51 mm but this was allied to a heavy barrel.
FULL VIEW
SNIPER RIFLES 203
FAMOUS GUNSLINGERS
VASILY ZAITSEV
Although his number of confirmed kills varies according however, during the battle of Stalingrad from August 1942 to
to the source—his story was heavily politicized in Russia— February 1943. There he added another 142–242 kills to his
Vasily Zaitsev was undoubtedly one of WWII’s greatest credit, and was celebrated and decorated by his government. It
snipers. Born on March 23, 1915, Zaitsev grew up in the was also in Stalingrad that he reputedly fought and won an epic
Urals, where he became an expert hunter. battle with a German sniper, Major Konings, who had been
dispatched from the sniper school at Zossen to kill Zaitsev.
This duel was the subject of the book and film Enemy at the
With the onset of war, he joined the Red Army where his Gates (2001), but it is likely that it never actually happened.
talents with a Mosin-Nagant rifle could be put to military use. Nevertheless, Zaitsev’s final WWII tally amounted to around
It is reputed that in only his first 10 days of military service he 400 kills, but snipers he personally training killed another 3,000.
shot and killed 40 Germans. Zaitsev achieved legendary status, Zaitsev died in 1991, a quiet hero.
FULL VIEW
Sling
3.5-power
PU sight
not in contact with the fore-end, and hence the barrel does not
distort as much when it heats up. The classic sniper round has
remained fairly constant with the 7.62 mm, but heavy anti-
material sniper weapons also emerged,
particularly those firing the powerful .50
in BMG (Browning Machine Gun)
Polymer stock
Attachment point
for steadying sling
Ten-round
removable box
magazine
HECKLER & KOCH PSG-1
DATE 1985 Intended as a police sniper rifle, the PSG-1 was
ORIGIN Germany essentially a heavily modified G3, as issued to the
WEIGHT 17¼ lb (8.1 kg) German Army, with the same roller-delayed blowback
action. The most significant differences lie in the cold-
BARREL 25½ in (65 cm)
forged, hexagonally rifled barrel and the Hensoldt 6x42
CALIBER 7.62 mm fixed-power sight, which has an illuminated reticle.
Ejector port
BARRETT MOD.90
DATE 1990–95 In 1982, 20-year-old Ronnie Barrett designed
Bolt handle ORIGIN US a .50-caliber sniper rifle as a bet. The gas-
WEIGHT 22 lb (10 kg) operated Model 82 (adopted by the US Army
as the M107) revolutionized the field, and
BARREL 29 in (73.7 cm)
was followed by the lighter, bolt-action,
Five-round CALIBER .50 in
removable bullpup Model 90.
box magazine
Fully floating
stainless-steel
barrel
Bipod in folded
position
L96A1
DATE 1986 onward The British Army’s L96A1 sniper rifle, in service since
ORIGIN UK 1986, was the first to be developed specifically for sniping:
WEIGHT 14 lb (6.5 kg) earlier versions had been based on various models of
the Lee-Enfield. It has an aluminum frame to which its
BARREL 25¾ in (65.5 cm)
FULL VIEW components are attached. Each rifle is individually fitted
CALIBER 7.62 mm NATO with a Schmidt & Bender 6x telescopic sight.
Bolt handle
Elevation
adjustment
Magnification
selector, 2.5– Windage
10x adjustment
Ejector port
Mounting clamp
Semi-
shrouded
Magazine trigger
release catch
Six-round
detachable box
Thumb hole
magazine
Safety catch
208 RIFLES & MUSKETS
Heavy barrel Hooded front
sight
STEYR SSG-69
DATE 1969 The Steyr SSG-69 was developed in the 1960s
ORIGIN Austria and entered service with the Austrian army
WEIGHT 8½ lb (3.9 kg) in 1969. It is a high-precision bolt-action
sniper rifle, that delivers superb accuracy out
BARREL 25½ in (65 cm)
to 650 yards and beyond. Ammunition feed is
CALIBER 7.62 x 51 mm from a five-round rotary magazine.
Bipod in the
Objective in its folded position
shielded cover
Mounting
rail
Combined flash
hider and muzzle
compensator
WALTHER WA2000
DATE 1978–88 Developed for police use, most WA2000’s were produced
ORIGIN Germany in .300 Winchester Magnum caliber. The example shown
WEIGHT 15 lb (6.95 kg) here is the experimental Series 1 version: the operational
Series 2 had an upgraded gas system and an unfluted
BARREL 25½ in (65 cm)
barrel, which improved accuracy. Both types were fitted
CALIBER 7.62 mm NATO with variable-power Schmidt & Bender telescopic sights. SNIPER RIFLES 209
SELF-LOADING
RIFLES 1900–1945
Although there were many precursors, viable army-issue self-
loading rifles did not emerge until the late 1920s. Before then
automatic rifles had tended to be too expensive for production
or too delicate for military use. The landmark firearm was the
M1 Garand, a robust gas-operated .30 in rifle that was accepted
for US Army service in 1936, and became the world’s first
standard issue self-loading rifle. Russia followed with its own
semi-automatic rifles, such as the Tokarev SVT-40. During
WWII Germany took the concept in a different direction with
the Sturmgewehr 44, a weapon that used a shorter
Cocking
cartridge to produce lower recoil, but which still Rear sight handle
FULL VIEW
Bayonet
attachment
M1 CARBINE
DATE 1942 Designed as a replacement for the pistol and rifle, the
ORIGIN US M1 was issued from 1942. It was chambered for an .30 M1 CARBINE
intermediate round developed by Winchester, and This round is loaded
WEIGHT 9½ lb (4.35 kg)
had an action similar to that of the Garand, except with a 110-grain blunt-
BARREL 20 in (55.8 cm) nosed bullet, effective
it had a short-stroke gas piston. It was also produced
CALIBER .30 in with a folding butt, for issue to paratroopers. to 600 ft (180 m).
15-round
detachable
box magazine Fore sight between
protective blades
Barrel
Gas cylinder
Forward sling
swivel
Bayonet attachment
M1 GARAND RIFLE
DATE 1932 John Garand opted for a rotating bolt design for his self-loading
ORIGIN US rifle. The piston in a cylinder below the barrel has a camming
WEIGHT 9½ lb (4.35 kg) (spiraled) groove on its rear end, in which is located a stud on the
bolt. As the piston is driven back, it causes the bolt to rotate and
BARREL 24 in (61 cm)
then drives it back against a spring that returns and relocks it,
CALIBER .30-06 in having picked up a fresh round from the magazine on the way.
Perforated
pressed-steel
Rate-of-fire forestock
selector
Pistol
grip
STURMGEWEHR 44
DATE 1943 In 1940 work began on a selective-fire rifle chambered for a new
ORIGIN Germany intermediate 7.92 mm x 33 round. The result was a gas-operated
WEIGHT 11¼ lb (5.1 kg) weapon with a tipping bolt, which was put into production as the
Maschinen Pistole 43 and later renamed the Sturmgewehr 44. Small
BARREL 16½ in (41.8 cm)
numbers were fitted with the Krummlauf, a barrel extension that
CALIBER 7.92 mm x 33 turned the bullet through 30°, for use by tank crews against infantry.
FULL VIEW
Forward sling
attachment Rear sight Safety catch
Cocking handle
Ten-round detachable
box magazine
Semi-pistol grip
GEWEHR 43
DATE 1943 Soon after the start of World War II, the German army
ORIGIN Germany began demanding a self-loading rifle. Walther’s original
WEIGHT 9½ lb (4.35 kg) design employed a cup at the muzzle that unlocked the bolt
and cycled the action. In 1943 a modified version, using the
BARREL 22 in (56 cm)
same action but with a conventional gas cylinder and piston
CALIBER 7.92 mm x 57 mounted above the barrel, was introduced as the Gewehr 43.
Rear sling
attachment
20-round detachable
box magazine
Barrel
Gas tube
PARTNERS IN CRIME
Bonnie and Clyde pose for a photo in front of
their prized Ford V8 getaway car. Shortly before
his death, in 1934, Clyde wrote to Henry Ford
full of praise for the vehicle. “For sustained
speed and freedom from trouble the Ford has
got every other car skinned,” he said, “and
even if my business hasn’t been strictly
legal it don’t hurt anything to tell you
what a fine car you got in the V8.”
SELF-LOADING
RIFLES 1945–
Post-war rifle development centered in many ways around an argument
over caliber. On the one side were those who advocated retaining the full-
power rifle round, preferring its long-range and penetration. This argument
won out in the 1950s, leading to the adoption of the 7.62 x 51 mm as
the standard NATO round, which in turn equipped weapons such as the
US M14 and the Belgian FN FAL. From the 1960s, however, other voices
Rear sling
advocated adopting the small, high-velocity 5.56 mm, pointing out that swivel
it was easier to control by the shooter, who could also carry more
ammunition, and that the weapons firing it could be lighter. In the
1960s, the US switched to the 5.56 mm M16 rifle, and during the
1970s and 80s most other Gas cylinder
Flash hider
STONER M63
DATE 1962 This M63 by Eugene Stoner is a modular design,
ORIGIN US and its 15 basic sub-assemblies can be put
WEIGHT 7¾ lb (3.52 kg) together in six different ways to produce a
submachine gun, a carbine, an assault rifle
BARREL 20 in (50.8 cm)
(shown here), an automatic rifle, a light machine
CALIBER 5.56 mm gun, and a general-purpose machine gun.
Bayonet lug
Muzzle
Forward sling attachment Gas cylinder Gas compensator
regulator
M14
Magazine DATE 1957 In 1953, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s
catch ORIGIN US (NATO) armies adopted a new full-power rifle
WEIGHT 8½ lb (3.9 kg) cartridge, in 7.62 mm caliber. To accommodate
it, the US developed a version of Garand’s 20-
BARREL 22 in (55.8 cm)
year-old M1, endowed with a fully automatic
CALIBER 7.62 mm fire capability and a larger magazine.
20-round
detachable
magazine
Shrouded
rear sight
FULL VIEW
Cocking handle
30-round
detachable box
magazine
217
Cocking handle
Tubular butt
stock folds to
the left
Magazine catch
35-round
detachable box
magazine
FULL VIEW
Gas regulator
Carrying handle
High-impact
plastic forestock
Fore sight
Cocking handle
Flash hider
Gas regulator
Ejection
port STONER M16A1
Bolt DATE 1982 Stoner’s Armalite AR-15 was
closing US accepted by the US Air Force in the
ORIGIN
device early 1960s, and subsequently taken
WEIGHT 8 lb (3.6 kg)
into service as the M16. The M16A1
BARREL 20 in (50.8 cm)
was fitted with a bolt-closing device
High-impact CALIBER 5.56 mm x 45 and a revised flash hider.
plastic butt
stock
Carrying handle
FULL VIEW
Rear sight
Rate-of-fire
selector
GERMAN ARMY’S
ASSAULT RIFLE
A favorite of the German
Army, the G3A3A1 is, in
fact, an official German
army designation, not
a Heckler & Koch
factory one.
SUSAT sight gives four-
5.56 MM NATO power magnification and
has low-light capability
The NATO-standard 5.56 mm
round has a steel-tipped projectile
weighing 62 grains.
Flash hider
High-impact plastic
fore stock
Wooden forestock
Ejector Muzzle
Rear sight port Gas regulator compensator
Carrying L1A1
handle DATE 1954 The L1A1 was introduced in 1954, and
ORIGIN UK was the standard British service rifle
WEIGHT 9½ lb (4.3 kg) until its replacement by the L85A1 in 1988.
It was adapted from the Belgian FN FAL, but
BARREL 21 in (53.3 cm)
with minor changes to the specifications
20-round CALIBER 7.62 mm x 51 to facilitate manufacture in the UK.
detachable
box magazine
FULL VIEW
Shoulder stock
Magazine catch
“[I WANTED TO INVENT AN ENGINE
THE AK MECHANISM ]
THAT WOULD RUN FOREVER.
MIKHAIL KALASHNIKOV
”
AK-47 ASSAULT RIFLE
DATE 1951 Early AK-47s, made largely from welded
ORIGIN USSR components, suffered problems. From 1951,
WEIGHT 9½ lb (4.3 kg) sturdier receivers machined from forged
steel billets were introduced. The modified
BARREL 16¼ in (41.5 cm)
AKM was lighter than the original and had
CALIBER 7.62 mm x 39 a reduced cyclic rate of full automatic fire.
Hand guard
(upper part)
READY TO FIGHT
Iraqi soldiers in Baghdad prepare for war in
November 1998. The AK-47 and variants are
among many small arms that are sold to
governments, rebels, and criminals. This
trade ensures a ready supply of weapons
to a number of conflicts including the
Balkans, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Somalia.
SPORT
RIFLES &
SHOTGUNS
H
UNTERS HAVE VERY different requirements from prey was simply spooked there would be no time for a
their firearms than soldiers. Most hunters want second shot. Muzzle-loading guns, both smoothbore and
to eat what they kill—they do not want to rifled, served the sport fraternities well until breechloading
obliterate the meat of the animal with excessive firepower. cartridge rifles took over in the 19th century.
The hunter’s ideal is to kill the prey instantly with a single The first breechloaders were single-shot weapons, but
shot that causes minimal disruption to the animal’s edible with bolt- and lever-action magazine rifles, such as the
parts. This consideration has been important in shaping Winchester 1866 and the Mauser 1892, hunters could fire
the design of, and market, for sport rifles and shotguns. faster, and therefore kill much more prey. The late 19th
and early 20th centuries consequently saw some of the
most gratuitous environmental destruction in history, as
As soon as guns were invented in the 14th century, they hunters slaughtered a variety of wildlife on every continent
were turned to sport use. Hunters applied matchlock with relatively inexpensive but powerful hunting guns.
arquebuses, despite their limitations, to hunting difficult
prey such as boar and wolf. Military shooting guilds also
indulged in competitive target shooting from the 15th From the beginning of the 20th century to the present day
century—there is evidence of the first shooting club being the preference of the hunting fraternity has remained
set up in Lucerne, Switzerland, in 1466. fairly constant. Bolt-action and lever-action rifles still
With the development of the flintlock, accurate sport account for the bulk of hunting and target gun sales, being
shooting became even more viable (a flintlock was more cheap, accurate, and available in calibers suited to every
reliable to shoot in damp field conditions). Early sport type of purpose. Many are still built upon venerable
guns were also much more likely to be rifled than military actions, particularly the Mauser bolt-action system.
versions. This is partly because civilian buyers could more Semi-auto rifles have had less dominance in the hunting
likely afford the expense of a rifled gun, and also because world. Partly this is because many authorities frown on
a hunter wanted his first shot to be exactly on target—if semi-auto fire for hunting, believing that it leads to
HUNTING GUNS
Early sport guns tend to be some of the finest examples of
firearms from their respective periods, principally because only
the rich could afford them. The matchlock was not an ideal Trigger
sport weapon, but nonetheless 15th- and 16th-century wood guard
Mainspring
Barrel band
FULL VIEW
Revolving breech
Jaw-clamp
screw
Striking
Flint Pan steel
Cheek piece
FULL VIEW
Trigger for
firing the Cock
Trigger for right barrel
firing the Striking
left barrel steel
Trigger
guard
Right
Left trigger
trigger
234
DOUBLE-BARRELED FLINTLOCK SHOTGUN
DATE c.1770 This side-by-side double-barreled flintlock
ORIGIN England shotgun, attributed to Hadley, is typical of
WEIGHT 5½ lb (2.25 kg) high-class fowling pieces of the latter part of
the 18th century. Not only is its short stock
BARREL 35½ in (90.2 cm)
silver mounted, but both its pans and its touch-
CALIBER .6 in holes are gold-plated to fend off corrosion.
RUSSIAN FLINTLOCK
DATE 1770 This beautifully decorated smooth-bore
ORIGIN Russia flintlock gun was made by Ivan
WEIGHT 5 lb (2.2 kg) Permjakov, one of the most accomplished
Russian gun makers. It is believed to
FULL VIEW BARREL 35 in (89.8 cm)
have been recovered from the field after
CALIBER .35 in the battle of Alma River in 1854.
Ramrod-
retaining
SCOTTISH DOUBLE-BARRELED FLINTLOCK barrel
DATE 1819 By the beginning of the 19th century, the design
ORIGIN Scotland of sport guns had already begun to diverge from
WEIGHT 7½ lb (3.4 kg) that of military weapons, with shortened stocks
becoming commonplace. This double-barreled piece
BARREL 30 in (76 cm)
is thought to have been made by Morris of Perth
CALIBER .68 in for Sir David Montcrieffe, a celebrated sportsman.
RIFLES
The 19th century brought all the innovations of the
Trigger
percussion cap to hunting. Indeed, the invention of the first
Grip
percussion lock by the Reverend Alexander Forsythe of extension
Cock
Lock
Feather spring
Bead fore sight
Barrel band
Bead fore sight
ENGLISH ROOK AND RABBIT RIFLE
DATE 1860 Rook and rabbit pies were popular meals in Victorian
ORIGIN UK Britain, and the type of simple small-bore rifle used
WEIGHT 3½ lb (1.63 kg) to shoot both rooks and rabbits took their name as its
own. This example is a break-open design, the breech
Break-
BARREL 25 in (63.5 cm)
locked by the lever in front of the trigger guard using
Trigger open CALIBER .37 in a method patented by Frederick Prince in 1855.
lever
Ramrod
FULL VIEW
Cylinder-retaining
wedge passes
through the axis pin
Hammer located
beneath the gun
Lock plate
Fore-end
Right-barrel
trigger
Left-
barrel
trigger
COLT PATTERSON REVOLVING RIFLE
DATE 1837 Samuel Colt was awarded his first patent, for a six-shot
ORIGIN US revolver pistol, in London in October 1835, and set up his first
WEIGHT 8½ lb (3.9 kg) factory, in Patterson, New Jersey. As well as pistols, he began
turning out revolver rifles, but his facilities were limited and
BARREL 32 in (81.3 cm)
he soon went bankrupt. Patterson-built Colts, such as this first-
CALIBER .36 in pattern concealed-hammer eight-shot rifle, are extremely rare.
Rear sight
Ramrod
PERCUSSION UNDERHAMMER RIFLE
DATE 1835 This underhammer rifle is by Vermont gunmaker,
ORIGIN US Nicanor Kendall. The stock is probably of American
WEIGHT Not known Cherry and the furniture is of a high nickel copper
alloy which is cast and incised with decoration. The
BARREL 29½ in (75 cm)
heavy octagonal barrel is fitted with four ramrod
CALIBER .44 in pipes, a leaf back sight, and a blade fore sight.
Figured burr
walnut stock
Turned-down
bolt handle
Rear sling
attachment
Nipple is
Hammer recessed
PIN-FIRE CARTRIDGE
The gun’s hammer falls
vertically on the pin,
driving it into the primer.
Breech-locking Gold-inlayed
lever engraving
GERMAN BOLT-ACTION SPORTER
DATE 1890 Waffenfabrik Mauser’s bolt-action hunting rifles
ORIGIN Germany set the standard for the type. This rifle employs
WEIGHT 7 lb (3.2 kg) the action of the Model 1888 infantry rifle as
Hammer acts near modified for the carbine, with the flattened,
vertically on BARREL 25 in (63.5 cm)
turned-down bolt handle. The five-round magazine
primer pin CALIBER 7.9 mm x 57 is of the pattern developed by Mannlicher.
Incised checkering
on the fore stock
to improve grip Rear sight
FREDERICK C SELOUS
Frederick Selous (1851–1917) first traveled to southern Africa In 1909, Selous led one of Africa’s most famous safaris, when he
in 1870 and there spent the next 20 years hunting big game took a party of 300 including Theodore Roosevelt on a hunting
and also becoming intimately acquainted with Africa’s wildlife trip around British East Africa, the Congo, and Egypt.
and peoples. His familiarity with the region led, in 1890, to Selous used a selection of powerful hunting guns throughout
his appointment as a guide to commercial expeditions of the his career from producers such as Holland & Holland and Lee-
British South Africa Company, and his service resulted in Metford. These included a single-shot Farquharson acquired
the award of the Founder’s Medal of the Royal Geographic in 1893, a rifle with the penetration needed to bring down the
Society. Selous subsequently became involved in several of largest African game (it fired a 215-grain bullet).
Britain’s wars in Africa, fighting in the Matabele War in 1893 As an infantry officer in WWI, Selous was killed in East
and in the Rhodesian uprising of 1896. Africa on January 4, 1917, in a small action at Beho Beho.
Breech
Metal-reinforced
stock
FULL VIEW
Under-lever
“THE LAST OF THE
MIGHTY HUNTERS
WHOSE EXPERIENCE LAY IN THE
GREATEST HUNTING GROUND
THE WORLD HAS EVER SEEN.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT, 1910
”
GIBBS-FARQUHARSON RIFLE
DATE c.1890 This rifle was made for F.C. Selous in
ORIGIN UK .450/.400 caliber. The grip is fitted
WEIGHT 8¼ lb (4 kg) with steel plates, a customization
requested by Selous to strengthen the
BARREL Not known
gun. The original barrel has been
CALIBER .450/.400 replaced by one in .22 Hornet caliber.
Rear sight
Fore-end
Loading
gate
Under-lever
action
Exposed hammer shows Rear sight Barrel band Fore sight in
if the rifle is cocked protective shroud
Ten-round
tubular magazine
Ejection
port
WINCHESTER MODEL 1894
DATE 1894 John Browning began working for Winchester in 1883.
ORIGIN US His first task was to revamp the action of the company’s
WEIGHT 7 lb (3.18 kg) under-lever rifle to allow it to use new types of
ammunition, and he supplemented Tyler Henry’s
BARREL 20 in (50.8 cm)
toggle-jointed bolt with additional vertical locking
CALIBER .30-30 bars. The system was perfected in the Model 1894.
Fore-end
FULL VIEW
WINCHESTER LEVER-ACTION
WINCHESTER .30-30 DATE 1885 This piece was used by Arthur Mounteney during
The .30-30 Winchester cartridge was ORIGIN US Henry Stanley’s expedition to rescue Emin Pasha (the
the first civilian round to be charged WEIGHT 8¾ lb (4 kg) Governor of the Sudanese province of Equatoria which
with smokeless powder. was menaced by the Mahdist revolt) in 1887–1890. The
BARREL 23½ in (60 cm)
expedition established contact with Emin in April 1888
CALIBER .30-30 and brought him to safety in German East Africa.
WESTLEY RICHARDS’
GUNS REMAIN THE CHOSEN
WEAPON OF MANY
HUNTERS IN THE US.
Rear sling
attachment
Breech-locking
lever
Walnut stock
Single
trigger
FULL VIEW
Forward sling
attachment
Internal five-round
box magazine
Abbreviated forestock
Stock/action
hinge
Trigger
Skeleton stock
Rear aperture
sight Bolt
Barrel unit
.22 LR barrel
FULL VIEW
Loading gate
Trigger
Semi pistol
stock
FULL VIEW
Bayonet lug
GREENER-MARTINI POLICE SHOTGUN
DATE 1920 Developed after World War I for use by British
ORIGIN UK colonial police forces, this gun was
WEIGHT 8 lb (3.68 kg) unconventional in that it had a Martini
falling-block action. Furthermore, it accepted
BARREL 28 in (71.2 cm)
only cartridges of an unusual form, to prevent
CALIBER 12-bore stolen guns from being used by civilians.
Perforated
barrel shroud
Cocking slide
WINCHESTER MODEL 1897
DATE 1897 Browning’s first pump-action gun for Winchester, the
ORIGIN USA Model 1893, was a rare failure. Browning strengthened
WEIGHT Not known and modified the action, and the Model 1897 proved to
be everything that its predecessor was not, and
BARREL 20 in (51 cm)
remained in production until the 1950s. The military
CALIBER 12-bore version, shown here, was produced up to 1945.
Ejection port
FULL VIEW
Fire mode
selector switch
Fore
sight
M16-style
carrying handle
Pressed-steel
barrel shroud
USAS-12
DATE 1992 Designed in the United States, and manufactured
ORIGIN US/S. Korea in South Korea by Daewoo, the USAS-12 is
WEIGHT 12 lb (5.5 kg) unusual in two respects. Firstly, it is a selective-
fire weapon, with the option for single-shot or
BARREL 18 in (46 cm)
automatic operation; secondly it can be set up
CALIBER 12-bore for either right- or left-handed operation.
20-round drum
magazine
COMBAT SHOTGUNS 253
Ejector port
Bolt
Safety
Stock folds upwards catch
through 180 degrees
Loading port
Cocking handle
Wooden stock
Tubular eight-
round magazine
FRANCHI SPAS 12
DATE 1978 Developed as a close combat weapon for both police and
ORIGIN Italy military use, the SPAS (Special-Purpose Automatic
WEIGHT 9½ lb (4.4 kg) Shotgun) is gas-operated by an annular piston around
the under-barrel magazine tube, acting on a tilting bolt.
BARREL 21½ in (54.5 cm)
It can be switched over to pump action when required.
CALIBER 12-bore They were expensive to manufacture, but reliable.
Fore sight
Rear sight
Tubular magazine
BENELLI M1
DATE 1980s Benelli produces some of the world’s finest
ORIGIN Italy semi-automatic shotguns, such as the early
WEIGHT 8 lb (3.6 kg) version of the M1 seen here. It operates via a
recoil inertia bolt system, which utilizes recoil
BARREL 20 in (51 cm)
energy stored in a short, powerful spring to
CALIBER 12-gauge provide power for the reloading cycle.
SHOTGUNS
Modern sport shotguns break down into two main categories:
double-barreled and single-barreled semi-auto. The former
are subdivided into either over-and-under or side-by-side
layouts (referring to the arrangement of the barrels on either Press-button
safety catch
the vertical or horizontal plane respectively). Twelve-gauge
shotguns are the most popular type, being practical for most
hunting uses. Sport shotguns have advanced in sophistication External hammer
over the last decades of the 20th century. Interchangeable
choke tubes (muzzle inserts that alter the spread of shot) are
now standard on many guns, and stocks are frequently
adjustable to custom-fit the shooter.
Walnut stock
Breech-opening
lever
256
Ejector port Cocking handle Ventilated barrel rib
Magazine cap
Fore-end
Hinge pin
Breech-locking
lever
Single trigger
Incised checkering on
the semi-pistol grip
FULL VIEW
Ventilated
barrel rib
Breech opening
lever
Forward sling
attachment
DOUBLE-BARRELED RIFLE
DATE 1887 This double-barreled rifle has a short barrel
ORIGIN England and simple sights, both indicators that the gun
WEIGHT Not known would be best used for the hunting of fast,
Semi-pistol large game at close ranges. The gun is of a
BARREL Not known
Rear sling grip “boxlock” design, the operating mechanism
CALIBER 4-bore being contained within a box-shaped housing.
attachment
DOUBLE-BARRELED SHOTGUN
DATE 1878 H&H are known for their superb quality of
ORIGIN England their bird guns. Here is an underlever-type
Double WEIGHT 6½ lb (3 kg) shotgun with a classic English-style stock—
triggers it has no pistol grip. Shotguns are fired by
BARREL 30 in (76 cm)
accurate pointing rather than deliberate
CALIBER 12-bore aiming, hence the lack of sights on this gun.
Hinged pommel
Cock
FULL VIEW
Dog lock
FULL VIEW
CARBINE AX
DATE c.1720 The butt of this fully stocked, dog-lock carbine is
ORIGIN Denmark reduced so that it can be gripped in the hand.
WEIGHT 3½ lb (1.55 kg) The axhead is shaped to double-up as a
rudimentary bayonet, and its balancing fluke as
LENGTH 32½ in (82.5 cm)
the beak of a war hammer. The head, retained
CALIBER .58 in by a spring catch, can be easily removed.
Striking wheel
loaded. The former weapons are found as far back as the late
14th century, with examples of multi-barrel “hand-gonnes,” Striking steel
Stock inlaid
with silver
FULL VIEW
Barrel-
retaining pin
Maker’s name
”
DATE c.1670 French gunmakers produced some of the finest
ORIGIN France sport guns of the 17th century. This example has INSTRUCTIONS TO CAVALRY,1672
WEIGHT 7½ lb (3.37 kg) three revolving chambers, each fitted with its
own striker and spring. This type of multi-shot
BARREL 31¼ in (79.5 cm)
weapon risked a dangerous chain reaction, in
CALIBER 22-bore which firing one chamber set off all of the others.
Trigger
Disc is bored
Hammer with seven
radial chambers
FULL VIEW
Trigger The seven barrels Ramrod
are brazed together
Rear sight
Octagonal barrel
WWII. Most were huge weapons with extremely long barrels, heavy
calibers of up to 20 mm, and hefty recoil control. Although impressive to
fire, their effect on the new types of armor appearing in WWII was minimal,
and they essentially disappeared from practical use by the end of the war.
Bolt
handle
Left-hand grip
Pistol grip
274
Fore sight
FULL VIEW
Recoil pad
Plywood
“ski” bipod
Flash hider
SOLOTHURN S18-100 ANTI-TANK RIFLE
DATE 1930 The Solothurn anti-tank rifle fired a
ORIGIN Switzerland base-fused shell (an artillery round in
Some propellent miniature) that gave acceptable results
WEIGHT 99¼ lb (45 kg)
gas bled off to against light armor. An upgraded version,
act on piston to BARREL 35½ in (90 cm)
the S18-1000, saw service with the
cycle action CALIBER 20 mm German Army as the PzB41.
Bipod
Perforated barrel
jacket
Gas cylinder
FULL VIEW
LAHTI MODEL 39
DATE 1940 This monstrous 20 mm weapon could
ORIGIN Finland penetrate ¾ in (20 mm) of armor at a range
WEIGHT 93 lb (42.2 kg) of 273 yards (250 m). While most of the
Lahti guns were single-shot, some were made
BARREL 54¾ in (139 cm)
with a full automatic facility, which must
CALIBER 20 mm have been physically horrible to fire.
TASER GUN
For modern police forces, the increasing threat of litigation arising
from the use of firearms has led to the adoption of several less-than-
lethal weapons, including the Taser gun. The name is an acronym of
“Thomas A. Swift’s Electric Rifle” after a science-fiction character
known by the weapon’s US designer, Jack Cover. 4-mode
light
selector
Cover helped perfect the weapon in association with the Air Taser
company in 1993, and today over 9,500 law-enforcement agencies
worldwide use Taser products. The basic firearm consists of a handgun
that fires electrodes out to a distance of 35 ft (10 m). These hit the assailant
then, via wires still connected to the gun, deliver an incapacitating electric
shock. Although early models had darts on the ends of the electrodes, which Trigger
embedded in the assailant’s skin, the latest versions apply an electrical pulse
that does not need skin penetration. There is no doubt that Tasers have
led to a reduction in firearms-related deaths in many police forces.
TASER M26
DATE 1998 The Taser M26 was developed in 1998 aimed Textured grip
ORIGIN US at achieving more efficient incapacitation. Its
WEIGHT 1 lb (0.5 kg) electrodes—which can be fired up to 35 ft
(10 m)—deliver 18–26 watt electrical signals,
LENGTH 7 in (18 cm)
generating massive muscle constrictions in
CALIBER Fires electrodes the victim that drop him or her to the floor.
Electrode
cavity
Heavy-duty
plastic casing
SHOCK TACTICS
An English police officer
demonstrates the power
of the Taser gun. This
example features a
connecting wire but
Taser also manufacture
a wireless option.
RIFLE-MOUNTED
GRENADE LAUNCHERS
Rifle grenades came to the fore during WWII as an attempt to give
infantrymen a better direct and indirect fire capability against
personnel and even armored targets. Modern rifle-mounted grenade
Receiver
launchers are part of the “modular” trend in weaponry that began in Cocking handle
the 1970s, whereby a soldier could call on different types of fire from
a single weapon platform. Most rifle-mounted grenade launchers fire
40mm grenades, and have a
maximum indirect-fire
range of around 450 yards
(410 m). The latest
generation of weapons have
Ten-round magazine
integral laser range-finders
that give the precise distance
to the target.
Bolt
handle
Stabilizing fins
Marker capsule
FULL VIEW
Rifle
trigger
Gas
cylinder Muzzle
compensator
40 mm anti-
personnel
grenade
Rifle fore
Launcher fore sight in sight
the folded position
Launcher mounts
onto fore stock FULL VIEW
MECHEM/MILKOR MGL MK 1
DATE 1990 A scaled-up version of a
ORIGIN South Africa shotgun of similar design,
WEIGHT 12 lb (5.6 kg) the MGL MK 1 is a six-shot
revolver grenade launcher.
BARREL 12 in (30.5 cm)
Its maximum range is Cylinder holds
CALIBER 40 mm around 1,150 ft (350 m). six 40 mm
grenades
284 SPECIALIST GUNS
AGS-17 “PLAMYA”
DATE 1975 The Soviet equivalent of the American 40 mm
ORIGIN USSR M19 that was first used in the Vietnam war.
WEIGHT 48¼ lb (22 kg) It is a belt-fed, blowback-operated launcher
with a maximum range of 1 mile (1.61 km).
BARREL 11¾ in (30 cm)
Non-disintegrating Such weapons are commonly mounted in
belt emerges here CALIBER 30 mm ground vehicles, boats, and hovercraft.
Elevating quadrant
Drum contains 29
30 mm grenades in
non-disintegrating belt
Muzzle, where
projectile is loaded
Trigger
Wooden shoulder
support
M1A1 “BAZOOK A”
DATE 1942 The Bazooka was the forerunner of the German
ORIGIN US Raketenpanzerbüchse and the Soviet RPG
WEIGHT 13¼ lb (6 kg) rocket launchers. It was no more than a tube
from which a solid fuel rocket, with a shaped-
LENGTH 54 in (137 cm)
charge warhead, was launched. It was operated FULL VIEW
MISSILE 3½ lb (1.54 kg) by two men, one to fire, the other to load.
Exhaust gas
collector/diffuser
RPG-7V
DATE 1962 The shoulder-launched RPG-7 is a much-improved
ORIGIN USSR version of the RPG-2. Its projectiles have a two-stage
WEIGHT 14 lb (6.3 kg) launcher/sustainer propellant charge, and a range of
up to 1640 ft (500 m). A wide variety of grenades
BARREL 37¼ in (95 cm)
is available, including anti-personnel, fuel-air
CALIBER 40 mm explosive, and high-explosive anti-tank projectiles.
MISSILE LAUNCHERS 287
MECHANICAL-
Bolt handle
ELECTRICAL GUNS
The post-war years saw the firepower of the machine gun taken
to its practical extreme. In 1945 in the United States, Johnson
Automatics Inc. was commissioned to reinvigorate Gatling’s now
antique Gatling Gun design. The Johnson company’s solution
was to take the same multi-barreled rotary configuration, but Electric motor
Rotary barrels
Contoured grip
Barrel
Match grade sight
SPECIAL OPERATIONS
EXECUTIVE (SOE)
The Special Operations Executive (SOE) was formed in July gunmaker per se). A large array of disguised weapons came
1940 in Britain with the mission of conducting, or supporting, from SOE’s Inter Services Research Bureau (ISRB) near
irregular warfare throughout German-occupied Europe. Over Welwyn, Wales, including .22 guns disguised as pens, smoking
the subsequent four years its agents were to be found across pipes and cigars, and pistols that fitted around the wrist or were
Europe from Norway to Greece, and from 1942 SOE even set into belts. SOE also used many silenced guns, including the
conducted operations in South-East Asia. Specializing in covert SOE-developed Welrod pistol, the De Lisle Carbine, and
warfare, SOE naturally gravitated toward commissioning or silenced versions of the Sten submachine gun. Many of the
developing specialist firearms (although SOE was not a designs were innovative but impractical, and SOE had more
influence supplying partisan forces with conventional weaponry.
9 MM PARABELLUM
The 9 mm Parabellum, or
Luger, is the most common
Trigger cartridge in the world.
WELGUN SMG
Magazine DATE 1943 The Welgun was a light and compact
housing ORIGIN UK experimental 9 mm submachine gun
Trigger
WEIGHT 7 lb (3 kg) developed for SOE use, but also as an intended
guard
airborne forces weapon, a replacement for the
BARREL Not known
troublesome Sten. It had a top-folding stock and
CALIBER 9 mm was fed from a 32-round vertical magazine.
Wrist strap
WRIST PISTOL
DATE 1939–45 This small .25 caliber firing device was
ORIGIN UK designed to be worn on the wrist of
SOE personnel, so that it was readily Barrel
WEIGHT Not known
available without having to be held. It
BARREL Not known
was fired by a string attached to the
CALIBER .25 in inside of a shirt or jacket. SPECIAL OPERATIONS EXECUTIVE 291
GENTRY Chamber
GUNS
The category “gentry guns”
Trigger
denotes firearms contained within
accoutrements such as canes and
umbrellas. Their purpose is somewhat
ambiguous, as they are impractical for
hunting and, usually, are of limited
power for self defense. Perhaps their
overall rationale is simply to provide the user
with some basic emergency firepower, for
purposes of the user’s choosing. Caliber in such
weapons tends to be small—often .410 for
Chamber
smoothbore barrels and .22 for rifled barrels.
Trigger
BULGARIAN DEFECTOR
GEORGI MARKOV WAS
KILLED IN 1978 ON WATERLOO
BRIDGE IN LONDON
BY A RICIN-FILLED PELLET
FIRED FROM A GAS-
292 SPECIALIST GUNS
POWERED UMBRELLA GUN.
WILSON CANE GUN
Barrel in
shaft of DATE 1984 The cane gun here is produced by the same
cane ORIGIN UK gunmaker as that behind the umbrella gun
WEIGHT Not known (below), and shares the .410 gauge. Being
able to fire the .410 cartridge makes the
BARREL Not known
cane gun suitable for use against small
CALIBER .410 game at ranges of up to 25 yards.
Muzzle
Ejection port
Sight
Hand-operated
breech block Trigger guard
Pressed LIBERATOR
steel body
DATE 1942 The Liberator was designed from an OSS
ORIGIN US commission as the cheapest possible handgun.
WEIGHT 1 lb (0.45 kg) It was intended to drop hundreds of
thousands of Liberators to resistance groups,
BARREL 4 in (10 cm)
and each gun was supplied with 10 rounds of
CALIBER .45 ACP .45 ACP and visual instructions on use.
Suppressor
Sling swivel
GUNS
Although silencers, or “suppressors” as they are otherwise known, do
Slide
reduce the report of a gun considerably—some by as much as 90 per
cent—they do not obliterate the sound entirely. The first effective
suppressors emerged at the beginning of the 20th century, Hiram
Maxim leading the way with his “Maxim Silencer” of c.1902. Since
then most suppressors have worked on similar principles. The most
popular type involves a bulbous chamber containing a series of baffles Rear sight
fitted to the end of the muzzle, this serving to contain and dampen the
gas expansion from the muzzle when the gun is fired. Silenced weapons
typically require use with subsonic cartridges, as supersonic rounds
create much of their noise when they break the sound barrier.
Integral silencer
TYPE 67
DATE 1980s The Type 67 was a development of the Type
ORIGIN China 64, both being 7.62 x 17 mm blowback
WEIGHT 2¼ lb (1.02 kg) pistols with integral silencers. It featured a
Magazine manual slide locking system, which stopped
inserted BARREL 3½ in (89 mm)
ejection after firing, giving the shooter the
into grip CALIBER 7.62 x 17 mm chance to find somewhere quieter to unload.
External silencer
M20 SILENCED
DATE 1950s The M20 was a Chinese copy of the Soviet 7.62 x
ORIGIN China 25 mm Tokarev TT-33. There is almost nothing to
WEIGHT 1¾ lb (0.83 kg) distinguish between the two guns (apart from the
Chinese gun having more slide grip cuts), both being
BARREL 9¼ in (23 cm)
short-recoil operated and utilizing Browning’s swinging
CALIBER 7.62 x 25 mm link breech lock. The gun here features a silencer.
Ejection port
FULL VIEW
VZ27
DATE 1927 The VZ27 was a redesign of the 9 mm VZ24.
ORIGIN Czechoslovakia Instead of the latter’s short-recoil operation, the
WEIGHT 1½ lb (0.7 kg) VZ27 had a much simpler blowback mechanism
Trigger and its caliber was taken down to 7.65 x 17 mm.
BARREL 4 in (10 cm)
The VZ27 also had a longer barrel. This popular
CALIBER 7.65 x 17 mm gun stayed in production until the 1950s.
Barrel
Slide grips
Trigger guard
External suppressor
CONCEALED
conceals weapon
mechanics
attached wheellock pistol that runs up the side of the Knife grip
Grip Trigger
KNIFE PISTOL
DATE 2000s This modern weapon originated in China in the
ORIGIN China 2000s, and would be intended for criminal or
WEIGHT ¾ lb (0.31 kg) covert use. It features a folding knife integrated
with a three-shot pistol firing .22 LR
BARREL 1 in (2.5 cm)
ammunition. The .22 LR round is ideal for small
CALIBER .22 LR weapons such as this, having negligible recoil.
Muzzle
Trigger
Barrel
Muzzle housed
within cigarette
SINGLE-SHOT CIGARETTE PISTOL
DATE 1939–45 This .22 caliber device disguised as a
ORIGIN UK cigarette was developed at the Special
WEIGHT Not known Operations Executive (SOE) laboratory.
The device was fired when the user pulled
BARREL Not known
on a string with his teeth. Because of its
CALIBER .22 short barrel it had a limited range.
Barrel
LIPSTICK PISTOL
DATE 1939–45 This Russian KGB 4.5 mm single-shot firing
ORIGIN Russia device was found in the purse of an East
WEIGHT Not known German spy arrested in West Berlin during
the Cold War. The female spy using this
BARREL Not known
weapon would have deployed it on the
Firing string CALIBER Not known unsuspecting victim at very close quarters.
Firing mechanism
housed within casing
Muzzle
Trigger
GUNS
Improvised firearms vary enormously in their build-quality
and performance. At the more sophisticated end of the
scale, we see examples of submachine guns constructed in
home workshops that feature selector and safety switches
Stock
and detachable magazines. At the opposite end there are reminiscent of
a Lee-Enfield
guns that consist of nothing more than a piece of pipe
and a spring-loaded nail for a firing pin. In insurgency MAU-MAU CARBINE
DATE 1950s This short-barreled, bolt-action, single
or terrorist contexts—the principal environments in shot carbine was made in Kenya during
ORIGIN Kenya
which improvised guns are produced—most home- WEIGHT 3½ lb (1.6 kg) the time of the “Mau-Mau” insurrection
against British rule in the 1950s. Most
BARREL 20¼ in (51.2 cm)
made weapons have proved as dangerous to the CALIBER .303 in
of the improvised weapons made by the
rebels exploded when they were fired.
user as the victim. The poor quality of metals
used, the inability to form gas-tight seals
around the chamber, and
incorrect calibration cause
many improvised guns to
explode when fired.
Muzzle
Perforated barrel
shroud serves as the
fore grip
LOYALIST SUBMACHINE GUN
DATE 1970s This homemade machine pistol was
ORIGIN UK produced by Loyalist paramilitaries in
WEIGHT 5¾ lb (2.6 kg) Northern Ireland. The barrel shroud and
receiver have been fashioned from square-
BARREL 7¾ in (20 cm)
framed tubing, while the magazine appears
CALIBER 9 mm to be that of an L2 Stirling SMG.
EOK A PISTOL
DATE 1950s This “gun” is so crudely fashioned that it barely
ORIGIN Cyprus qualifies for the name. The barrel is a spent 20
WEIGHT ½ lb (.23 kg) mm-caliber cartridge case, secured to the rough-
hewn wooden frame. The “muzzle” would have
BARREL 4¼ in (11 cm)
needed to be virtually in contact with the Square-section
Magazine CALIBER Not known
release victim’s body before the gun was discharged. receiver
catch
FULL VIEW
Pistol grip
Trigger
34-round box
magazine from Safety
Sterling SMG catch
IMPROVISED GUNS 305
Rear sight
PROTOTYPE
GUNS
Prototype firearms have an important role in the
Selector switch
development of guns. Although many trials weapons Ammunition feed
never actually reached production, the data collected
has helped refine everything from operating systems to
ammunition. The prototype phase became especially Muzzle brake
important during the late 19th and 20th centuries, when
prototypes had to establish the groundwork for mass
production models. Sometimes the development phases
have felt undue political influence—the rush to produce FN FAL TRIALS MODEL
DATE 1950 Although the FN FAL would be
an indigenous replacement for the British Army’s SLR ORIGIN Belgium most famous in its 7.62 x 51 mm
WEIGHT 9¼ lb (4.2 kg) NATO chambering, it was first
rifle in the 1980s resulted in disastrous deficiencies in the designed in 1948 around the
BARREL 23¾ in (60 cm)
German 7.92 x 33 mm Kurz
adopted SA80A1. However, when the CALIBER 7.92 x 33 mm intermediate round.
process is politically impartial,
Cocking handle
prototypes have proved Ejection port
extremely influential.
Folding stock
Magazine release
MAUSER-CETME LMG
DATE 1960s The Mauser-CETME light machine gun (LMG) was a
ORIGIN Spain/Germany joint German-Spanish development of the German
WEIGHT 18 lb (8 kg) MG42, although chambered for the 7.62 x 51 mm
NATO round. The gun was not a success in this
BARREL 23¼ in (59 cm)
chambering, but CETME later achieved a good workable
CALIBER 7.62 x 51 mm design in its 5.56 x 45 mm NATO Ameli machine gun.
Fire selector
switch
Box magazine
Vented housing
Flash hider
Trigger
FULL VIEW
GATLING GUN
Invented by Dr. Richard Gatling and patented in 1862, the
Gatling Gun was a revolution in infantry firepower. It was a
rotary hand-cranked weapon, with 10 barrels arranged around
a central axis. Turning the crank rotated the barrels, into which Barrels
were fed cartridges from a cartridge container set above the gun.
Each barrel fired and ejected its cartridge once during a full
Pivot for
rotation of the barrel group, the advantage not only being the revolving
mechanism
rate of fire but also that barrel overheating could be controlled.
ZULU WAR
British soldiers crew a Gatling
Gun during the 1879 Zulu War.
The gun increased the Europeans’
advantage against natives
in colonial wars.
Elevating gear
Water jacket
Pistol grip
FULL VIEW
BROWNING M1917
DATE 1912 John Browning came up with a simpler method
ORIGIN US of locking breech-block and barrel than Maxim
LENGTH 38½ in (58 cm) had used. His new gun was adopted by the
US Army as the M1917 and soon became
BARREL 20 in (58.1 cm)
the air-cooled M1919. It remained in service
CALIBER .30-06 in in that form until the 1960s.
Condenser hose
connection
Water jacket Ammunition
belt feedway
VICKERS MK 1
DATE 1912 Adopted by the British Army as a
ORIGIN UK replacement for the Maxim in November,
LENGTH 43¼ in (110 cm) 1912, the MK 1 differed from its
predecessor in that its locking toggle-joint
BARREL 28½ in (72 cm)
broke upward rather than downward,
CALIBER .303 in reducing the size of the receiver.
Traversing
Traversing turntable
turntable clamp
Elevation
screw
Tripod leg
317
AN EXPERT MG42 TEAM
COULD CHANGE BARRELS IN
AROUND FIVE SECONDS,
GIVING ONLY A TINY Flash hider
WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY
FOR ENEMY ATTACKERS.
Belt feed
mechanism Triggers
Barrel-change
handle
Firing
lever
Heavy barrel
Amunition box
Tripod mount
.5/12.7 MM M2
Developed for the M2 machine
gun and adopted as a rifle
round, the M2 has a 710-grain
(46 g) bullet and a muzzle
velocity of 2,800 fps.
BROWNING M2 HB
DATE 1936 The US Army was pleased with Browning’s
ORIGIN US M1917, but wanted a heavier weapon too,
LENGTH 64½ in (164 cm) and Browning obliged with the water-
cooled M1921. Like the rifle-caliber gun,
BARREL 45 in (114 cm)
its water jacket was later removed, and
CALIBER .5 in (12.7 mm) it meta-morphosed into the M2.
318 MACHINE GUNS & SUBMACHINE GUNS
Ventilated
barrel
shroud
21 in
(53.3 cm) barrel
Recoil
transmission
bar
Recoil-actuated
Pistol automatic
grip traverse
mechanism
Bracing bar
7.92 MM X 57 MAUSER
The cartridge was loaded with a
steel-jacketed 177-grain (11.5 g)
boat-tailed bullet that left the
muzzle at 2,745 fps.
MG42
DATE 1943 In 1934 the Maschinengewehr 34 was
ORIGIN Germany officially adopted as the MG08’s
LENGTH 48 in (122 cm) replacement. It was light, yet robust
enough to deliver sustained fire at 900
BARREL 21 in (53 cm) FULL VIEW
rpm, but it was expensive to produce,
CALIBER 7.92 mm and was superseded by the MG42.
ZB 53 (VZ/37 OR BESA)
DATE 1937 Machine gun designer Vaclav Holek was
ORIGIN Czechoslovakia one of the stars of the 1930s. He used
WEIGHT Not known similar locking methods on both the Bren
gun and the ZB 53. The latter was known
BARREL 26¾ in (67.8 cm)
as the VZ/37 by the Czechs and Besa by
CALIBER 7.92 mm the British, who used it in their tanks.
Elevation
gear
Shoulder
brace Steadying grip
Trigger
Pistol grip
Elevation
wheel
Traversing turntable
FULL VIEW
Feed cover
Ammunition
belt feedway
Flash hider
GORYUNOV SGM
DATE 1943 The Red Army used its Maxims well into World
ORIGIN USSR War II, but by 1942, it desperately needed a
LENGTH 44 in (112 cm) cheaper replacement. Goryunov mated
elements of an earlier unsuccessful design
BARREL 28¼ in (72 cm)
Carrying handle with Holek’s locking system. His original SG43
Gas port CALIBER 7.62 mm x 54 underwent modification and became the SGM.
Heat shield
22 in (56 cm) barrel
Flash
eliminator
M60
DATE 1963 The US Army replaced its Browning M1917 derivatives Bipod (folded)
ORIGIN US with a new, gas-operated, general-purpose machine gun in
LENGTH 43½ in (110 cm) the early 1960s. The M60 used the feed system of the
MG42 and the locking system of the German FG42 assault
BARREL 22 in (56 cm)
rifle. It was unsatisfactory to begin with, but a series of
CALIBER 7.62 mm NATO modifications over two decades corrected most of its faults.
GAS-OPERATED MACHINE GUNS 323
Rear sight
Gas cylinder
Ammunition box
Barrel can be
changed quickly
MG43
DATE 2001 The MG43 is light enough to be handled in
ORIGIN Germany the light machine gun (LMG) role and
WEIGHT 19 lb (8.5 kg) rugged enough to function as a sustained-
fire weapon. The barrel can be changed in
BARREL 19 in (48 cm)
seconds, its handle folding to lie along the
CALIBER 5.56 mm receiver just in front of the cocking handle.
FULL VIEW
STEYR-MANNLICHER
Steyr-Mannlicher was born in the Austrian town of Steyr in STEYR FACTORY
A large part of the
1853, when Joseph Werndl took over his father’s gunmaking gunmaking process
is still done by
factory. By 1890 the company, now named Österreichische hand at Steyr’s
Austrian factory.
Waffenfabriks-Gesselschaft (OWG), was producing
approximately 11,000 rifles every week. A dip in commercial
fortunes in the early 20th century was remedied by the
mobilization for war in 1913–14, and in total OWG made over
10 million arms between 1914 and 1918. The tough inter-war
years brought structural changes, first with the creation of
Steyr-Werke AG in 1922 then an amalgamation into Steyr-
Daimler-Puch in 1934. WWII galavanized
production again, and since 1950 Steyr-
Mannlicher GmbH, as it became in 1963,
has returned to being a world force in
firearms manufacture, producing
submachine guns, assault rifles (the excellent
Bipod
Steyr AUG), sniper rifles and sport guns.
STEYR SPP
DATE 1993 The SPP—Special Purpose Pistol—is a pistol version of
ORIGIN Austria Steyr’s TMP submachine gun. Working on a delayed
WEIGHT 3 lb (1.3 kg) blowback principle, the gun is semi-auto only and can take
either 15- or 30-round magazines of 9 mm Parabellum
BARREL 5 in (13 cm)
ammunition. The whole gun is very compact, with a total
CALIBER 9 mm length of a fraction over 11 in (28 cm).
Magazine in
pistol grip
Telescoping
stock
Ejector port
Sling
Magazine
STEYR MPI 81
DATE 1990s The MPi 81 is essentially an MPi 69 with
ORIGIN Austria a conventional cocking handle. Both guns
WEIGHT 6¾ lb (3 kg) are 9 mm blowback weapons with fire
selection via trigger pressure—light
Magazine catch
BARREL 10¼ in (26 cm)
pressure fires single shots while heavy
CALIBER 9 mm pressure produces automatic fire.
See-through
plastic magazine STEYR-MANNLICHER 327
LIGHT MACHINE GUNS
1900–1945
Many of the early machine guns were good performers from
static positions, but their excessive weight prevented their use in
mobile tactics. The light machine gun (LMG) was designed to
give assault troops portable heavy firepower, the machine gunner Wooden butt
stock
providing a moveable base of fire to other infantry during
maneuvers. The first LMG was the Danish 8 mm
Madsen, at 20 lb (9 kg) convenient enough to take
forward in an assault. By 1911 the LMG was also
faithfully realized in the superb .303 Lewis gun,
FULL VIEW
and many other designs emerged between the Rear sight
two world wars. Some LMGs, such as the Bren,
dealt with the problem of barrel overheating
by utilizing quick-change barrels, while
others used fixed barrels for simplicity.
Ejector
Gunner’s left hand port
grips stock here Cocking
Trigger handle
Flash hider
Ammunition
belt MG08/15
feedway DATE 1917 Germany’s first, hurried, attempt to produce
ORIGIN Germany a light machine gun saw the Maxim MG08
WEIGHT 48½ lb (22 kg) fitted with a butt stock, a pistol grip, and a
Pistol grip conventional trigger. It also had an integral
BARREL 28¼ in (72 cm)
bipod, with a shortened ammunition belt
CALIBER 7.92 mm x 57 contained in a drumlike container.
Bipod
Pan magazine
holds 47 rounds
Barrel shroud
and heat
dissipator
LEWIS
Cooling fins DATE 1912 The British Army adopted the air-cooled, gas-
continue inside operated Lewis gun in 1915, and it remained
barrel shroud
ORIGIN US
WEIGHT 26 lb (12 kg) its standard light support weapon until it was
superseded by the Bren. The original design
BARREL 26¼ in (66.5 cm)
was the work of Samuel MacLean, but it was
CALIBER .303 in modified by Colonel Isaac Lewis of the US Army.
LIGHT MACHINE GUNS 1900–1945 329
Recoil spring
Laminated wooden housing
butt stock
Top-mounted
magazine
Rate-of-fire
selector and
safety catch
Ejection port
Rear sight
Single shot
trigger
Automatic Wooden fore-end
fire trigger
Flash hider
Gas tube
Ammunition
belt feedway
DEGTYAREV RP46
Ejector
DATE 1946 The Red Army adopted the Degtyarev RP in
ORIGIN USSR 1928. It was modified in 1945, and the
WEIGHT 28¾ lb (13 kg) following year, it received a heavier barrel and
Bipod was adapted to take belts as well as drum
BARREL 23¾ in (60.5 cm)
magazines. It was still not entirely satisfactory,
CALIBER 7.62 mm x 54 R however, and was soon replaced by the RPD.
Barrel Bipod
Gas cylinder
CHÂTELLERAULT MODÈLE 1924/29
DATE 1929 The Mle 1924 was designed as a light machine
ORIGIN France gun replacement for the terrible WWI-era
WEIGHT 20¼ lb (9 kg) Chauchat, but was let down by poor ammunition.
The cartridge was redesigned along with parts
BARREL 19¾ in (50 cm)
of the gun to produce the Mle 1924/29, which
FULL VIEW CALIBER 7.5 x 54 mm served through WWII and into the 1950s.
GUNS 1945–
Since 1945 light machine guns (LMGs) have retained, if not increased, their
influence within small-unit tactical thinking. Many light machine guns—such
as the RPK74 and L86A1—are little more than standard infantry rifles with
extended barrels and, sometimes, an increased ammunition capacity. These
guns typically have fixed barrels, meaning that they are not suited to sustained-
fire modes, but they offer extended range over the squad’s rifles. However,
many armies have turned to belt-fed light machine guns to soup up squad
Rear sight STANAG
firepower, the FN Minimi and its variants being a particular favorite in 30-round
detachable
this regard. These are capable of delivering sustained fire at 750 rpm magazine
Rate-of-fire
selector and
safety catch
FULL VIEW
Cocking
handle Carrying handle
Fore sight
Muzzle
compensator
Ejector port
FN MINIMI
DATE 1975 FN’s gas-operated, air-cooled Minimi accepts
ORIGIN Belgium the NATO STANAG magazine or disintegrating-
WEIGHT 15 lb (6.83 kg) link belts, without modification. The Minimi
was adopted by the US Army as its M249
BARREL 18½ in (46.5 cm)
Squad Automatic Weapon, and also by the
CALIBER 5.56 mm x 45 British Army as the L108A1.
LIGHT MACHINE GUNS 1945– 333
FAMOUS GUNS
BREN GUN
The Bren Gun is a textbook lesson in superb gun design. BREN
DATE 1937 The Bren gun was the British
This .303 in machine gun was produced from 1937, but ORIGIN Czechoslovakia Army’s principle light support
its origin actually lay several years further back in the fine WEIGHT 22½ lb (10 kg) weapon from its introduction
until the 1970s. If it had a
BARREL 25 in (63.5 cm)
Czech 7.92 mm ZB30. During the 1930s the British CALIBER .303 in
deficiency, it lay in its rimmed
ammunition, not the gun itself.
commissioned the Ceskoslvenska Zbrojovka company to
redesign the ZB30 as a .303 in weapon, with a view to
replacing the British Army’s venerable Lewis Guns.
Rear sight
The result, the ZB33, was accepted and was renamed the
Bren Gun (the name derives from Brno, the Czech town
Body
where the ZB30 was designed and made, fused with Enfield, locking pin
FULL VIEW
Carrying handle
Magazine
port cover
Gas cylinder
JUNGLE PATROL
With Bren gun at the ready, a
soldier of the New Zealand 22nd
Squadron Air Service, patrols a
river and surrounding swamps
in the Malayan jungle in 1957.
Rear sight
Skeleton light-alloy
butt stock
Cocking
handle
Optical sight
Barrel
FULL VIEW
RPK74
DATE 1976 The RPK74 was developed from the successful
ORIGIN USSR AKM assault rifle, and many parts are
WEIGHT 11 lb (5 kg) interchangeable with those of other Kalashnikov
weapons. It entered service in the early 1960s,
BARREL 23¼ in (59 cm)
and replaced the RPD as the standard light
CALIBER 5.45 mm x 39 machine gun of the Soviet infantry.
MP40
DATE 1940 In 1938, the German Army adopted a Cocking Skeleton
new, handier design for a SMG, but it handle butt stock
ORIGIN Germany
WEIGHT 9 lb (4 kg) was still uneconomical to produce. Two (folded)
years later, it was re-engineered to Pistol grip
BARREL 9¾ in (25 cm)
replace expensive machining with
CALIBER 9 mm Parabellum pressed and welded construction.
32-round magazine
Wooden
butt stock
Cocking sleeve
Single-shot
Burst-fire trigger trigger
Rear sight
Pressed and
stamped steel body
PPSH41
As the Germans experienced with the MP38, so the Russians introduced. Around five million PPSh41s were produced
acknowledged that their PPD40 submachine gun was not during WWII, and they added considerable firepower to
ideally suited to the conditions of fast production during the Russian infantry formations, particularly in the close-range
early years of WWII. A new design program resulted in the fighting preferred by Soviet tacticians.
7.62 mm PPSh41, a crude weapon produced from stamped
steel, welding, and pinning, and which used Mosin-Nagant
rifle barrels that were cut in half.
FULL VIEW
The barrel jacket ran ahead of the barrel
itself and so acted as a rudimentary muzzle
brake to control muzzle climb when
firing fully automatic. The operating
system was simple blowback, and the
gun had a 900 rpm rate of fire—
extremely fast when compared to the
500–700 rpm of the MP38/40. To
cope with its ammunition demand,
the PPSh41 had a 71-round drum
magazine, although later in the war
35-round box magazines were also
Magazine
port
Rate-of-fire
selector
TO AUTOMOTIVE
GREASE GUNS OF THE PERIOD. Cocking-handle cover
acts as safety catch
Cocking handle
342
Magazine port Graduated rear sight
32-round “snail”
drum magazine
BERGMANN MP18/I
DATE 1918 The Hugo Schmeisser-designed MP18/I can lay
ORIGIN Germany claim to being the first effective submachine gun.
WEIGHT 11½ lb (5.25 kg) It was produced in response to a request from the
German Army’s storm troopers for a handier
BARREL 7¾ in (19.6 cm)
weapon than the heavy, cut-down MG08/15s they
CALIBER 9 mm Parabellum were using when assaulting defended positions.
MAT 49
DATE 1950s The MAT 49’s distinctive feature is its
ORIGIN France pivoting magazine housing; as well as making
WEIGHT 7¾ lb (3.5 kg) the weapon easier to conceal, it’s a very
positive safety device. The gun saw wide-
Rear BARREL 9 in (23 cm)
spread combat use during the Indo-China and
pistol CALIBER 9 mm Algeria wars, as well as the 1956 Suez Crisis.
grip
Transparent plastic
50-round detachable
box magazine
FN P90
DATE 1990s The P90 uses a “miniature” caliber round
ORIGIN Belgium designed with damage limitation in mind. All
WEIGHT 6 lb (2.7 kg) its non-mechanical components are molded
from plastic, and its unique horizontal
BARREL 11¾ in (30 cm)
ammunition feed mechanism allows the
CALIBER 5.7 mm magazine to be incorporated into the receiver.
Trigger
SUBMACHINE GUNS 345
FAMOUS GUNSLINGERS
AL CAPONE
Alphonse (Al) “Scarface” Capone (1899–1947) is the defining 14, 1929, in which seven members of the “Bugs” Moran gang
American gangster. He joined Johnny Torrio’s criminal died in a hail of Thompson SMG and shotgun fire, was
fraternity in New York at the age of 14, and later became his sanctioned and partly organized by Capone. Capone, along with
partner in bootlegging and brothel operations in Chicago. gangsters such as John Dillinger and “Baby Face” Nelson, is
forever associated with the Thompson M1921. Thompsons came
into their own for the high-risk raid, used against massed police or
Torrio retired in 1925, and Capone stood up as the new head of for targets situated in automobiles. Several of Capone’s associates
the Chicago crime family. Capone was never shy about using who lived by the Thompson died by it, but Capone was finally
firepower. The infamous Valentine’s Day massacre on February brought down in 1931 on charges of income tax evasion.
Fore
sight
Forward pistol
grip
FULL VIEW
”
income tax evasion.
AL CAPONE
THOMPSON M1921
DATE 1921 By 1919, John Tagliaferro Thompson had
ORIGIN US produced an early version of what would
WEIGHT 10¾ lb (4.9 kg) be widely known as the Tommy Gun. The
M1921 was the first to come to the market,
BARREL 10½ in (26.7 cm)
and it quickly became a firm favorite
CALIBER.45 ACP among America’s criminal fraternity.
Receiver machined
from solid steel
Advanced
collimator
sight
Mounting rail
Retractable
buttstock
Ambidextrous
controls
Wrist strap
INGRAM MAC-10
DATE 1970s A telescoping bolt and a magazine incorporated
ORIGIN US into the pistol grip allowed Ingram to reduce the
WEIGHT 7½ lb (3.4 kg) overall size of the MAC-10 to that of an automatic
pistol. With a cyclical rate of fire of well over a
BARREL 5¾ in (14.5 cm)
thousand rounds per minute, it can empty its 32-
CALIBER 9 mm Parabellum round magazine in little more than a second.
Combined pistol
grip and magazine
housing
SOME MAC-10S
ARE STILL USED BY
THE US ARMY’S
SPECIAL UNIT,
DELTA FORCE.
Folding
vertical HECKLER & KOCH MP7
foregrip DATE 2001 The MP7 is a personal defense weapon
ORIGIN Germany designed to provide greater penetration
WEIGHT 4 lb (1.8 kg) against body armor than conventional
submachine guns offer. It uses the same
BARREL 7 in (18 cm)
action as the H&K G36, but fires a high-
CALIBER 4.6 x 30 mm velocity 4.6 x 30 mm round.
SUBMACHINE-GUNS 349
Fore sight Cocking handle
in protective
shroud
Barrel-locking nut
Replaceable
barrel
Molded-plastic
fore grip
Forward
sling swivel
Safety catch/rate-
of-fire selector
Retractable
skeleton stock
Cocking
handle
Replaceable
barrel
Pistol grip
20-round
detachable
box magazine
VZ/68 SKORPION MOD 83
DATE 1960s The Skorpion was designed as a close-protection
ORIGIN Czechoslovakia weapon that could be carried in a holster and
WEIGHT 3 lb (1.3 kg) used with one hand. Its unlocked blowback action
and lightweight moving parts would give a very
BARREL 4½ in (11.5 cm)
high rate of fire, but a clever counterweight
CALIBER 9 mm Parabellum mechanism in the butt reduces the rate.
350 MACHINE GUNS & SUBMACHINE GUNS
Pressed-steel receiver
Rear sight in
protective shroud
Rate-of-fire
selector
UZI
DATE 1950s The secret of the Uzi’s legendary stability lies
ORIGIN Israel in its bolt being wrapped around its barrel;
WEIGHT 8 lb (3.6 kg) this brings the center of gravity forward, and
helps to cure the tendency for the barrel to
BARREL 10¼ in (26 cm)
rise during automatic fire. Heavy moving parts
CALIBER 9 mm Parabellum keep its rate of fire to a manageable level.
FULL VIEW
32-round
detachable
box magazine
Butt
locking
pin
Magazine
release catch
Rate-of-fire icons:
single-shot, three
round burst (above),
and automatic (top)
NAVY SEALs
These US Navy SEALs are equipped with
MP5N variants. They are standard MP5s with
a fully ambidextrous Navy trigger group, a
retractable stock, and a threaded barrel for
mounting steel suppressors.
Glossary
ACTION The method of loading BOX-LOCK A flintlock in which CHARGER A frame that holds EJECTOR A device that throws a
and/or firing a gun. the action is contained within a cartridges, allowing them to be spent cartridge case clear after it has
central box behind the breech. loaded into a magazine. been extracted from the chamber.
AUTOMATIC A firearm that will
continue to load and fire while the BREECH The closed rear end CLIP See charger. EXTRACTOR A device that
trigger is pressed. of a gun’s barrel. grips the cartridge case and pulls it
CLOSED BOLT A configuration
clear of the chamber.
BATTERY The state of a gun’s BREECH-BLOCK Analogous to found in automatic and semi-
action when it is ready to fire. the bolt. automatic weapons in which battery FLASH ELIMINATOR An
is with the bolt in the closed attachment at the muzzle that
BENT A notch on the cock, BULLET The projectile a weapon
position, with a cartridge cools the propellant gas below its
hammer or striker in which the sear fires. It may be spherical, cylindro-
chambered; see also open bolt. flash point.
engages, to hold it off. conical (a cylinder with a cone-
shaped point) or cylindro-ogival (a COCK The clamp that holds the GAS OPERATION A weapon
BELT FEED A way of supplying
cylinder with a rounded point), or flint in a flintlock weapon; the act of in which the cycle is effected by the
ammunition to the breech of an
even hollow-pointed. pulling back a hammer, bolt or cock propellant gas.
automatic weapon.
to ready a weapon for firing.
BULLPUP A rifle that has GENERAL-PURPOSE
BLOWBACK A way of operating
its mechanism set well back in COMPENSATOR A device that MACHINE GUN (GPMG)
an automatic or semi-automatic
the shoulder stock, allowing a reduces the muzzle’s tendency to lift A machine gun that can be used
weapon in which the breech is not
normal barrel length in an or swing. as a light machine gun or in the
locked, but held closed by a spring
abbreviated weapon. sustained-fire role.
or by inertia. CYCLE The series of operations
BUTT The stock between necessary to fire a round and return GRIP SAFETY A device that
BOLT The part of the weapon
shoulder and trigger; the part the gun to battery. keeps the weapon from being fired
that closes and seals the breech. It
of a pistol held in the hand. unless held correctly.
may also load and extract cartridges CYCLIC RATE The notional
and carry the firing pin. CALIBER The internal diameter rate of fire of an automatic weapon. GROOVES The parallel spirals
of the barrel. cut into the barrel that give spin to
BOLT ACTION A firearm DELAYED BLOWBACK A type
the bullet.
relying on a turning bolt to lock its CARBINE A short-barreled rifle of blowback action in which the bolt
breech closed. or musket. is briefly delayed to allow chamber GUNPOWDER A mixture of
pressure to drop to a safe level. saltpeter, charcoal, and sulfur.
BORE The number of shot CARTRIDGE CASE The
of a given size which can be cast container for the propellant, primer DOUBLE-ACTION A pistol in HEAD The closed end of a
from 1 lb of lead; the diameter and projectile. which the act of pulling the trigger cartridge case, where the primer
of a barrel. first cocks, then releases, the action. is located.
354 Glossary
HEAVY MACHINE GUN MACHINE GUN A weapon that RECOIL The rearward SELECTIVE FIRE A weapon
A machine gun chambered for a uses gas or recoil to cycle its action movement of the barrel (or weapon) that can fire single rounds or
round of larger-than-rifle caliber, and thus give continuous fire. in reaction to the forward motion of automatically.
usually 12.7 mm. the bullet.
MACHINE-PISTOL See SELF-LOADING A weapon
HINGED FRAME A pistol submachine gun. RECOIL INTENSIFIER in which the act of firing a round
in which the barrel can be hinged A device attached to the muzzle recocks it, having chambered a
MAGAZINE A holder for
down to expose the chamber that increases the recoil of a recoil- fresh cartridge.
cartridges that delivers them, usually
or chambers. operated automatic weapon.
by means of spring pressure, to SILENCER A device at the
HOLD-OPEN DEVICE A the action. RECOIL OPERATION muzzle that slows the propellant
catch that holds the bolt back if there A weapon in which the cycle is gas, by diverting it through baffles,
MEDIUM MACHINE GUN
is no cartridge to be chambered; a effected by the recoil of the barrel and also slows the bullet to below
A machine gun chambered for
catch that holds the slide of a self- or breech-block. the speed of sound.
rifle-caliber ammunition, which is
loading pistol back so that the
capable of sustained fire. REVOLVER A weapon in which SUBMACHINE GUN A hand-
weapon may be dismantled.
the ammunition is carried in a held automatic weapon firing pistol-
MUZZLE The open front end of
HOLLOW-POINT A bullet with rotating cylinder. caliber rounds.
the barrel.
a chamber or a recess at its point,
RIFLING The spiral grooves cut TRIGGER The short lever that
which causes it to expand or even MUZZLE BRAKE See
into the barrel that induce spin on trips the sear out of the bent on the
fragment when it hits its target. compensator.
the bullet. cock, hammer, etc. to initiate the
LANDS The inner surfaces of OPEN BOLT A weapon in firing sequence.
RIMLESS A type of cartridge
a barrel, between the grooves. which the bolt is held back until the
case that has a recessed groove, WINDAGE The adjustment of a
trigger is pulled, allowing the
LIGHT MACHINE GUN rather than a rim, around its head, sight to compensate for the effect of
chamber to cool; see also closed bolt.
(LMG) A machine gun, usually to allow the extractor to grip it. a cross-wind upon the bullet.
fitted with a bipod, chambered for PARABELLUM The 9 mm x 19
RIMMED A cartridge case with ZEROING Adjusting a weapon’s
rifle-caliber ammunition, but not cartridge developed by Georg Luger
a rimmed head to allow the sights so that the point of aim and
capable of sustained fire. for his self-loading pistol.
extractor to grip it. the point of impact are the same.
LOCKED BREECH A weapon PRIMER
SEAR Part of the firing
in which the breech-block is Fine gunpowder used to initiate the
mechanism that connects the trigger
physically locked to the barrel firing sequence; a percussion cap set
to the cock, hammer, or striker by
during firing. into a cartridge case.
engaging a bent in it.
Glossary 355
Index
“3-Line” rifle M1891, 186 Beretta 318 pistol, 78 M2 HB, 318 Colt revolving rifle, 171
1809-pattern musket, 141 Beretta 9000S pistol, 79 Browning Model 1893 shotgun, 229 combat shotguns, 250–51, 252–55
Beretta Model 70, 89 Brunswick rifle, 110 combination long gun, Dutch 119
combination weapons, 266–69
A Beretta Model 1934 pistol, 80
combination wheel-flintlock musket,
Adams double-action revolver model
Beretta Model 92FS pistol, 83
Beretta pistol, Egyptian, 88 C 120–21
1851, 55 Beretta shotguns, 259 cane guns, 293, 300 Cooper under-hammer pistol, 42
AGS-17 “Plamya” grenade launcher, Bergmann MP18, 343 carbine ax, 268 Covert forces guns, 294–95
264, 285 Bergmann musquete, 338 carnatic torador, 125
AK-47 assault rifle, 224–25, 265
with GP25 grenade launcher, 283
Bergmann No. 3 pistol, 66
Berthier Mle 1916 rifle, 198
Charleville musket, 134, 138
Charter Arms revolvers, 103 D
AKM assault rifle, 111, 337 Besa machine gun, 320 Chassepot percussion carbine, 163 Darne rotary-breech shotgun, 259
Ameli machine gun, 307 blunderbuss pistol, 33 Châtellerault Modèle 1924/29 LMG, De Lisle carbine, 290
Apache pistol, Dolne, 60 blunderbuss, Lemmers flintlock, 140 331 De Lisle silenced pistol, 265
AR7 Explorer Armalite rifle, 249 bolt-action carbine, 159 Chauchat machine gun, 331 Deane-Harding army model
Arisaka Meiji 30 rifle, 191 bolt-action rifles, 176, 241, 247 cigarette-lighter pistol, 303 revolver, 54
Arisaka Type 99 rifle, 191 bomb launcher, 281 cigarette pistol, 302 Degtyarev RP46 LMG, 331
Armalite AR15 rifle, 229 Borchardt C/93 pistol, 67 Colt Patterson revolving rifle, 239 Desert Eagle pistol, 9, 91
arquebuses, 110, 114–15, 228 Bouillet of Paris, 271 Colt pistols & revolvers, 9, 47, 70, Dolne Apache pistol, 60
assault rifles, 210, 218, 224–25 Boys anti-tank rifle, 275 71, 76 dragoon pistols, 47, 48
Astra M901 pistol, 75 brass-cartridge revolvers, 56–61 Agent, 96 Dreyse guns, 165
automatic rifle (Browning), 325 break-open double rifle, 241 All American 2000, 34 Needle Gun, 168–69
ax, carbine, 268 break-open pistol, 49 automatic, 343 dueling pistols, 30, 33, 40–41
ax match and wheellock, 269 breechloading pistols, 21, 43 dragoon, 48
breechloading rifles, 164–7 Frontier double-action 1878, 35
EF
B Bren gun, 311, 320, 328, 329,
333, 334–35
Lightning double-action, 59
M1895 “Potato Digger”, 313, 320 Enfield 1853 Pattern rifle musket,
Baby Dragoon revolver, 47 bronze barrel hook gun, 115 M1911, 9 152–53, 157, 164
Baker rifle, 110, 134, 135 Brown Bess musket, 110, 129, 134, Model 1849, 133 Enfield L42A1 rifle, 203
Baltic flintlock, Swedish, 233 135, 142–43 Navy conversion, 58 Enfield No.2 Mk I revolver, 97
Barrett Mod.90 rifle, 207 Browning Auto-5 shotgun, 229 Navy Model 1851, 44–45 Eoka pistol, 305
Barrilet truncheon pistol, 301 Browning GP35 pistol, 81 Navy Model 1861, 35 FG42 rifle, 323
“Bazooka” missile launcher, 287 Browning high power pistol, 76, 77 New Service, 94, 95 FGM-Javelin anti-tank weapon, 286
Benelli 12G shotgun, 255 Browning machine guns, 206 Police Positive, 94 flintlock blunderbuss, 140
Beretta 89 target pistol, 79 M1917, 310, 316, 318, 323 Python, 100, 101 flintlock carbines, 129, 145
356 Index
flintlock double-barreled guns, 235, 271
flintlock handguns, 24
Glock 17 pistol, 9, 86–87
Goryunov submachine gun, 323 IJ No.4 Mk 1, 194–95
Lee-Metford rifles, 183, 186
flintlock musket, 130–31, 134–41 “Grease Gun”, 343 India-Pattern musket, 135 Lefaucheux pin-fire revolver, 61
flintlock pistols, 8, 14–17, 20–25, 27, Greene carbine, 163 Indian firearms, 26–27, 146–47 Lemmers flintlock blunderbuss, 140
30–33, 36–39 Greener-Martini police shotgun, Infanteriegewehr rifles, 165, 179 Lewis gun, 328, 329
flintlock rifles, 128–31, 134–41, 251 Ingram Mac-10 submachine gun, 349 Liberator pistol, 265, 294, 295
270, 271 grenade launchers, 280–85 iron barrel hook gun, 115 Liège pistol, 23
flintlocks, Grizzly MK IV pistol, 90 Ithaca M6 survival rifle, 249 lipstick pistol, 303
Austrian, 17 Jericho 941 pistol, 88 Lowell gun, 312
double-barreled, with bayonet,
136 H jezail matchlock, 146
Joseph Lang transitional revolver, 53
Loyalist submachine gun, 304
Luger handgun, 64
Dutch double-barreled, 15 halberd double-barreled wheellock, Luger P’08 pistol, 9, 70, 73, 76
Luger P088 silenced pistol, 290
Italian repeating, 233
Russian, 235
267
Hall rifle 137 KL
Scottish double-barreled, 235
Swedish Baltic, 233
Hammerli 162 target pistol, 289
Harper’s Ferry pistol, 37
Kalashnikov weapons, 337
KAR98K rifle, Mauser, 196, 201 M
FN FAL rifle, 216 Heckler & Koch pistols, Kerr double-action revolver, 53 M1 carbine, 211
FN FAL trials model gun, 306 USP, 85 knife pistol, 301 M1 Garand rifle, 111, 210, 211
FN MAG machine gun, 325 VP 70M, 84 Krag rifles, 197 M14 rifle, 216, 217
FN Minimi LMG, 332, 333 Heckler & Koch rifles, Krag-Jørgensen M1888, 180 M16 rifle, 216, 219
FN P90 submachine gun, 345 G3A3, 220–21 Kunitomo Tobei Shigeyasu, 123 M16A1 rifle with M203 grenade
fowling pieces, 235 G41, 219 L108A1 LMG, 333 launcher, 282
Franchi SPAS–12 shotgun, 252, 255 PSG-1, 207 L1A1 rifle, 223 M1896 revolver, 76
fusil reglementaire modèle 1853, 156 Heckler & Koch submachine guns, L2 Stirling submachine gun, 304 M19 grenade launcher, 285
MP5, 348, 352–53 L484 Bren gun, 333 M1905 Mannlichers revolver, 76
G MP7, 348
Henry Model 1860 rifle, 170, 171
L85A1 rifle, 223
L86A1 light support weapon, 332, 333
M1917 machine gun, 311
M1A1 “Bazooka” missile launcher,
Gabbett-Fairfax “Mars” pistol, 65 Hi-Standard HD.22 pistol, 265, 294 L96A1 sniper rifle, 207 264, 287
Galil assault rifle, 218 Hi-Standard Model B gun, 299 Lahti Model 39 anti-tank rifle, 277 M20 silenced pistol, 297
Gatling Gun, 288, 310, 312, 314–15 Holland & Holland shotguns, 260, Land-Pattern musket, 142, 134 M203 grenade launcher, 264
Gatling Minigun M134, 288 261 Land-Pattern pistol, New, 37 M240 machine gun, 311
General Purpose Machine Gun, 325 hook guns, 114–15 Le Mat pistol, 49 M249 Squad Automatic Weapon,
Gewehr 43 rifle, 213 Hotchkiss Mle 1914 machine gun, Le Mat revolver rifle, 173 311, 333
Gewehr 98 rifle, Mauser, 186, 196, 310, 321 Lebel rifles, 193, 198 M2HB machine gun, 311
201, 202, 209 hunting guns, 230–37 Lee-Enfield rifles, 186, 202 M3/M3A1 (“Grease Gun”)
Index 357
M/71, 165 MP18 submachine gun, 338
submachine gun, 343
M4 carbine, 111 M1896, 193 MP40 submachine gun, 339 QR
M59/66 rifle with grenade launcher, Model 71/84, 179 “Queen Anne” pistol, 30
T-gewehr anti-tank, 274
281
M60 machine gun, 311, 323 Mauser Zig-Zag revolver, 60 NO Radom M1935 pistol, 77
Raketenpanzerbüchse rocket launcher,
M79 “Blooper” grenade launcher, Mauser-CETME LMG, 307 Nambu Taisho 14 pistol, 75 287
264, 284 Maxim machine guns, 310, 316–17, 323 Negev LMG, 337 Remington 1100 automatic shotgun,
Mace wheellock pistol, 266 Early Pattern, 312 No. 4 Rifle with a grenade launcher, 280 257
Madsen LMG, 328 MG08/15, 329 organ guns, matchlock, 272 Remington Double Derringer
Makarov PM pistol, 83 McMillan TAC-50 rifle, 111 Ottoman Empire firearms, 24–25, revolver, 57
Mannlicher-Carcano rifle, 176 Mechem/Milkor MGL Mk 1 grenade 144–45 Remington Model 700 Etron-X rifle,
Mannlicher M1895 rifle, 189 launcher, 284 289
meda, Tibetan, 150
Marlin Model 60 rimfire rifle, 229
Mars pistols, 65, 74 MG08/15 LMG, 329 P Remington Rolling-Block rifle, 167
repeating flintlock, Italian, 233
Martini-Henry rifle, 164, 166, 183 MG34 machine gun, 311 Panzerfaust anti-tank weapon, 264 revolver model 1851, Adams double-
Maschinengewehr machine guns, 319 MG42 machine gun, 311, 316, 319, Pattern 1842 coastguard pistol, 43 action, 55
MAT 49 submachine gun, 344 323, 324, 325 Pattern 1914 rifle, 197 revolver rifle, Le Mat, 173
matchlock and wheellock ax, 269 Mills bomb launcher, Smle with, 281 pellet-lock percussion gun, English, 237 revolving musket, matchlock, 147
matchlock arquebuses, 228 Minimi LMG, 332, 333 pen pistol, 302 revolving rifles, 171, 239, 270, 271
matchlock muskets, 117, 119, 147 miquelet dueling pistol, 33 “pepperbox” pistols, 8, 42, 264 rifle musket, Enfield, 152–3
matchlock organ guns, 272 miquelet handguns, Ottoman, 24 percussion underhammer rifle, 239 rifle-mounted grenade launchers,
matchlock pistol, 27 miquelet sport gun, Italian, 230 Piat anti-tank weapon, 264 280–83
matchlock torador, 125 miquelet tüfenk, Balkan, 145 pill-lock carbine, Japanese, 149 Rigby Mauser rifle, 247
matchlock wall gun, 150 missile launchers, 286–87 pin-fire revolver, Lefaucheux, 61 ring pistol, 302
matchlocks, 26, 116, 146, 230 Model 1798 musket, Austrian, 139 pin-fire shotgun, French, 241 rocket launchers, 287
Asian, 122–25, Model 1888 infantry rifle, 241 pipe pistol, 303 rook and rabbit rifle, English, 237
Japanese, 148 Model 1900 pocket pistol, 70 pocket pistol, Colt Model, 1849 133 rotary-breech double-barreled
Mau-Mau carbine, 304 “Monkey Tail” carbine, Westley police shotgun, Greener-Martini, 251 shotgun, Darne, 259
Mauser C/96 pistol, 68–69, 75, 76 Richards, 159 “Potato Digger”, Colt M1895, 313, RPG–7 anti-tank weapon, 264,
Mauser rifles, 110 Montigny Mitrailleuse machine gun, 312 320 286
1892 breechloading, 228 Mosin-Nagant carbine M1944, 201 PPSH41 submachine gun, 340–41 RPG–7V rocket launcher, 287
1893, 199 Mosin-Nagant M1891 Remington PTRD anti-tank rifle, 275 RPK74 LMG, 332, 337
Gewehr 98, 186, 189, 196, 201, rifle, 187 pump-action Winchester guns, Ruger 10/22 rimfire rifle, 229,
202, 203 mousqueton d’artillerie modèle 250, 251 295
KAR98K, 201 1842, 157 PzB41 anti-tank rifle, 277 Ruger GP-100 revolver, 102
358 Index
Stechkin APS pistol, 82
S Sten Gun, 265, 290
Tokarev SVT40 rifle, 210, 213
Tokarev TT Model 1933 pistol, 76, 297
Webley-Fosbery revolver, 64
Webley Model 1910 pistol, 74
SA80 assault rifle, 111 Sten Mark 2 (Silenced) submachine toradors, 125, 147 Webley-Pryse pocket pistol, 61
Schmidt-Rubin M1889 rifle, 181 gun, 338 transitional revolver, 53, 55 Welgun submachine gun, 291
sea service flintlock musket, 131 Sterling light automatic rifle, 307 tüfenk, 145 Welrod silenced pistol, 265, 290
Sharps carbine, 160–61 Stevens Model 77E, 253 turret rifle, under-hammer, 273 Westley Richards hammerless ejector
SIG 220 pistol, 107 Steyr AUG light machine gun, 326 Type 67 silenced pistol, 296 gun, 247
single-shot breechloaders, 164–67 Steyr “Hahn” M1911 pistol, 72 Type 94 pistol, Japanese, 76 Westley Richards “Monkey Tail”
Skorpion Mod 83 submachine gun, Steyr M12 revolver, 76 Type 96 machine gun, 311 carbine, 159
VZ/68, 350 Steyr-Mannlicher M1905 pistol, 72 wheellock-flintlock musket, 120–21
Steyr MP1 81 machine gun, 327
Smith & Wesson .410 Shot pistol, 63
Smith & Wesson Military & Police Steyr Special Purpose Pistol, 327 UV wheellock ax, matchlock and, 269
wheellocks, 230, 231,
pistol, 94 Steyr SSG-69 rifle, 203 umbrella gun, 265, 293 combination weapons, 267–69
Smith & Wesson revolvers, 9 Stinger flashlight gun, 301 under-hammer pistol, Cooper, 42 pistols, 8, 12–13, 10–11, 266
Airweight, 100 Stoner M16A1 rifle, 219 under-hammer turret rifle, 273 rifles, 126–27
M1917, 97 Stoner M63 rifle, 216 US percussion-cap revolvers, 46–49 Whitworth rifle, 157
Model 27, 63 Sturmgewehr 44 assault rifle, 111, USAS–12 shotgun, 253 William Ford “Eclipse” shotgun, 257
No. 3, Russian model, 57 210, 212 Uzi submachine gun, 342, 351 Wilson cane gun, 293
Smith & Wesson Tiffany Magnum, 62 STW Magnum pistol, 107 Vetterli Model 1880 rifle, 177 Wilson umbrella gun, 293
Smle Mk III, 194 submachine guns, 310–11, 326–27 Vickers machine guns, 310, 316 Winchester Model 1866 carbine, 174,
Smle with Mills bomb launcher, 281 Heckler & Koch MP5, 352–53 Vickers Mk 1 machine gun, 317 228
snaphaunce handguns, Ottoman, 24 PPSH41, 340–41 Villar Perosa submachine gun, 338 Winchester Model 1876 rifle, 175
snaphaunce tüfenk, 145 survival guns, 244–49 volley gun, 272, 273 Winchester Model 1894 survival rifle,
snaphaunce, Scottish, 231 VZ27 silenced pistol, 297 245
sniper rifles, 202–09 Winchester Model 1895 rifle, 175
Solothurn S18-100 anti-tank rifle, 277 T VZ/37 machine gun, 320
VZ/68 Skorpion submachine gun, 350 Winchester Model 1897 rifle, 250, 251
Spencer rifle, 172 Tanegashima matchlock, 122 wrist pistol 291
sport guns, 228–229, 230, 236-41,
256–59
tap-action pistol, double-barreled, 22
W
Springfield rifles, 164
Taser gun, 278–79
teppo, Japanese, 122 wall gun, Chinese matchlock, 150 XZ
M1903, 197 Terry bolt-action carbine, 159 Walther PP pistols, 83, 106 XM-214 Six-Pac machine gun, 288
Model 1863 type II, 155 Thompson submachine gun, 343 Walther WA2000 rifle, 209 XM307 Advanced Crew Served
Trapdoor 165 Thunderer revolver, 59 war hammer wheellock, 267 Weapon, 284
Star Model M pistol, 80 Tokarev SVT38 semi-automatic Webley & Scott 1907 silenced pistol, 299 ZB 53 machine gun, 320
Starr single-action army model pistol, 49 rifle, 111 Webley & Scott MkVI revolver, 98–99 Zig-Zag revolver, Mauser, 60
Index 359
Acknowledgments
Dorling Kindersley would like to thank Life Pictures (bl). 63 DK Images: The 149 DK Images: The Board of Images: The Board of Trustees of the
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